Okay, Junie B. Jones. You Win.

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Junie B. Jones. I have had a love/hate relationship with homegirl for years now. Back when I used to write curriculum for early elementary students, Junie B. Jones certainly didn’t do me any favors. That little girl can really jack up some words! From her wretched grammar and spelling to her sassy commentary, it took her awhile to grow on me. Every student I had loved her from their first introduction, though. Why wouldn’t they? She said the things that a lot of them would get a time out for if it came out of their mouths. Her bold attitude and fearlessness really gives her street cred with the 7 and under crowd! 

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My Ayva was introduced to Junie B. Jones by her kindergarten teachers. Now that she’s a rising first grader who adores reading, Junie B. Jones is to her like Twilight is to teenagers. She’s addicted. Of course, being the proud mom that I am, when I saw how excited she was to share what Junie B. had done in the chapter that they’d read in school each day, I knew I had to purchase the series so she could have it in her library at home.

I’m so glad I did.

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Really, who cares about grammar and spelling? My baby girl loves reading these books! Every since they came in the mail, she’s been reading them over and over again. She even acts out characters, changing her voice up and everything. Junie B. Jones is the first book she picks up every morning and the last one she puts down every night before bed. I can’t deny the positive influence they have on her.  At this point, she could ask me to let her read Flowers In The Attic and I’d be okay with it. As long as she’s reading, right?

If you have a young reader in your home, check out Junie B. Jones and let me know what you think! What other funny, engaging books would you recommend for a rising first grader?

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3 responses to “Okay, Junie B. Jones. You Win.”

  1. Kristia Avatar

    My oldest is heading into 4th grade in the fall, but she really struggled with reading in first grade. It just didn’t click. Thankfully her teachers really worked with her, and my husband and I as well at home. She was finally ready for chapter books in the middle of 2nd grade and she discovered Junie. I can relate to the love/hate that you felt as I felt the same, but my daughter read them all and Junie gave her the incentive to go from being a level 1/2 reader to confidently reading chapter books. We’ve moved on from Junie, and she’s now into Little House series.

  2. Veronica Bartles (@vbartles) Avatar

    I loved Junie B. Jones when my kids were younger! I had a friend who wouldn’t let her daughters read the books because of Junie’s bad grammar, but that was actually one of the things I loved about the series. Every child I’ve ever read Junie B. Jones with has enjoyed pointing out the grammar and spelling mistakes, and correcting Junie. They see the humor in her missteps because they have made similar mistakes, and their confidence grows as they experience these things all over again through her eyes. It’s actually a pretty good learning tool in that way.

  3. Shasta Avatar

    My daughter just started reading these. She however struggles with spelling and grammar so now I am a little concerned. I’ll have to check these out a little better and make sure they aren’t hurting her more than they are helping her. She is a newer reader so I want her to enjoy them, but I also want something that will be helpful as she learns to read and write.

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