42. Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket

Title: Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket
Author: Barbara Park
Illustrator: Denise Brunkus
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 2000
Number of Pages: 67
Reading Level: 8+
Genre:Realistic Fiction/ Humor

Summary
Junie B is ‘rolled into kindergarten. She really likes school especially her friends Lucille and that Grace. She calls her teacher Mrs. there is more to her name but Junie just likes to say Mrs. One day Mrs. says that school will be over soon and all the kids are very upset because they are supposed to be in school a long time, even until they grow up. Mrs. has to explain that they will only be gone for vacation and then they will come back as first graders. No one likes this because first graders are mean. Mrs. has to explain that the first graders will be second graders and so on. The kids understand and Mrs. goes on to say that the kids will be going on a field trip. The children are so excited but not Junie B. because they are going to a farm. Ponies are at farms. Her babysitter let her watch a show called “When Ponies Attack” and ever since Junie didn’t want anything to do with ponies. Her parents insist that she go and mom says she’ll buy her an outfit and a throw away camera. Junie isn’t convinced this is a good thing and thinks about it really hard. She tells her parents the next morning that there are also roosters on farms and they are mean, her mom even said so. Plus meanie Jim brought his rooster to class one time and said that roosters are so mean they’ll peck your head into a nub. A nub! Junie cannot go to the farm. Her parents make her and get her the outfit and throw away camera. Meanie Jim sits behind Junie on the bus and teases her the whole way there. Junie tries to hide under the seats so she doesn’t have to get off and Mrs. brings the farmer on the bus to coax her out. He says she can be his farm hand. She seems ok with this because she thinks that she gets to order other kids around. Junie has fun on the farm and uses all her pictures. Her teacher rescues the camera from the garbage because Junie knows that it’s a throw away. Junie also holds a little chick and is told that he will become a rooster one day. Farmer Flores takes off his hat and Junie sees his head is not a nub! Junie is happy that she now likes roosters, at least little ones anyway.

Recommendation
I would recommend this be read to kids at bed, to be read in a class, or just for a personal fun read. I think young kids can enjoy how silly Junie is and relate to her in a lot of ways.

Problems/Conflict
No problems. Just a cute and very fun book.

My Reaction
Oh Junie B. you are so funny! I love how simple this book is and how true it is to a kids efforts to get out of things, how they misunderstand concepts and how they are scared of unreasonable things.