Junebug (Paperback)

by Alice Mead (Author) "I've got the sail hauled in tight..." (more)
Key Phrases: gun factory, birthday wish, reading teacher, Miss Robinson, Aunt Jolita, Auburn Street (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6?Junebug is the story of risks taken and goals achieved by a small nuclear family struggling against a harsh environment. Nearly 10-year-old Reeve McClain, Jr. (Junebug) says, "For my birthday wish I would like to sail a boat." Hardly an ordinary request for a black kid living in the projects of New Haven. Especially since the other big topics on the boy's mind are how to avoid the pressure to join a gang, the sense of abandonment once his 16-year-old friend flees town to escape a drug lord, and ways he can help make his mother's tough life a little easier. The characters are fresh and vivid: self-involved, fast-traveling Aunt Jolita; little sister, Tasha, remarkably sensitive and shy; and Mama, who finally steps off the treadmill of daily survival when her job provides a chance to move away. Junebug himself is quite clear about who he is and where he should be going. Told in the first person, the narrative is immediate and casual, the setting starkly revealed. The book is engaging and suspenseful, with enough scary characters and situations to keep most readers engrossed. The youngster, by the way, gets his wish in the end via a message placed in each of 50 bottles and set to sea. The ultimate message, however, is that change is possible when responsibility is an individual obligation. Mead's writing approaches the power of Walter Dean Myers's novels about inner-city life, but is for a younger audience.?Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Gr. 4^-7. Junebug lives in the projects, taking care of his little sister, Tasha, when his mother works. He avoids the older boys in gangs and dreams of someday becoming a boat captain. Afraid of changing his life, bleak as it is, for something unknown, he hopes his mother won't move the family across town and take the new job she's been offered. However, when his young Aunt Jolita gets too friendly with a bad crowd and begins drawing him in, he realizes that leaving is the family's only hope. Junebug is a compelling, thoughtful narrator whose wishes and determination are balanced by Jolita's absence of dreams and character. The novel is hard-hitting and unleavened by humor, but Junebug's likable personality and the upbeat note at the end will leave readers satisfied. A likely choice for school literature circles. Susan Dove Lempke --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440412455
• ISBN-13: 978-0440412458
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #632,127 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous read aloud, February 8, 2000

By	4/5 grade teacher (Phx, AZ) - See all my reviews

This is a great book to read out loud to students. The writing is lyrical and poignant. This is an excellent book to use for discussion of literary elements as well as discussing character and personal choices. My students loved it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Junebug by Alice Mead, April 12, 2004

A Kid's Review

The book Junebug is about a kid named Junebug. He lives with his mom, sister, and aunt. Junebug lives in a really nasty and ugly neighborhood. He doesn't really like that because there are a lot of gangbangers and bad people around there.Junebug has an aunt named Jolita, and she likes to hang out with them. Unfortunately she brings a lot of problems to Junebug's family. In the story Junebug has just one true friend named Darnell. The sad thing is that Darnell runs away from all the revolutionary neighborhood.
I like this book because it is a adventure book. I also like how they explain the characters and how they explain all the things that happened in the story.I enjoyed reading this book and I think that the author did a great job. I recommend this book to all the people that like to read entertaining stories.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars grrrreat, August 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Junebug (Hardcover)

This book was really good !!!It's one of the many books I've read that was at lot different than I expected, but still really ,really good. I also really like the way the author put this story together!!!!! I recomend this book to anyone of you young readers out there.You'd love it!!!