A few more words on the kindergartner-turned-first-grader who believes in looking out for No. 1
I read another Junie B. Jones novel after posting Saturday’s review of Junie B. Jones and The Stupid Smelly Bus http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2007/06/16/, the first book in Barbara Park’s series about an anarchic kindergartner who moves up to first grade in later installments. Junie tries to insinuate herself into an aunt’s wedding party in Junie B. Jones Is (Almost) a Flower Girl, the 13th book about her. She’s more physically violent in this one. On the second page, Junie tackles a boy on the playground, whom she calls her “boyfriend,” to get back at him for “chasing a new girl named Thelma.” In real life the tackle could have resulted in injuries such as a concussion, and some schools would define it as bullying.
I agree with people who say that most children will realize that they’re supposed to laugh at Junie’s actions, not copy them. Even so, any child who enjoys this series needs also to have access to others in which the characters express their frustrations in ways that don’t hurt or insult anybody. I’ll write about three series that meet this test on Saturday.
© 2007 Janice Harayda. All rights reserved.
