How Junie B. Jones Ruined America
I've never had a child in my class who didn't like the Junie B. Jones series of books from Barbara Park.
Guess I'd better not read them to the parents.
(Courtesy of the New York Times)
Guess I'd better not read them to the parents.
(Courtesy of the New York Times)
Mr. Alvis wasn’t so sure about that. Nor are some of the more vocal parents who discuss the books on Web sites like Craigslist and UrbanBaby. Most of the books have earned an average rating of at least four stars out of five from Amazon readers, but the negative reviews are brutal.Better not show them Walter the Farting Dog; they'll die on the spot.
“I am going to throw them out,” one said. “I wouldn’t give them away, because I don’t want anyone else to read them.”
Another wrote, “I find this the mental equivalent of toxic waste.”
Labels: Junie B., oh those parents, reading
posted by Ryan at 10:52 AM
5 Comments:
Oh good gracious. My mother, who is a volunteer tutor, just fell in love with Junie when she "met" her while tutoring 2nd graders...I can't believe people would get all that riled up about her!
My 6-year-old loves them. She was a reluctant reader in kindergarten, but really took off mid year. She'll start 2nd grade this year reading at a 3rd grade level, and LOVES Junie B. She gets excited about reading, loves the illustrations, and her comprehension is excellent. As she READS TO ME at bedtime, the grammarian in me cringes from time to time, but I can't deny the overall benefit of a child who loves to read. Let's get over ourselves, people!
I love them too! Uh. I don't have any kids of my own. I don't teach elementary school or younger. I just think they're adorable. The bad grammar doesn't bother me because it sounds REAL. It makes it seem like she's talking to the reader.
We not only own a copy of Walter the Farting Dog, but also have a poster!
All of my kids loved the books, and I liked them because my kids had to concentrate to correctly read Junie B.'s incorrect grammar. Her use of words can be difficult to read!
Post a Comment
<< Home