Junie B., First Grader: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (Junie B. Jones, No. 28) [Hardcover]

Barbara Park (Author), Denise Brunkus (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: August 7, 2012 | Age Range: 6 - 9 years | Series: Junie B. Jones, No. 28 (Book 28)

Meet the World's Funniest First Grader—Junie B. Jones!

Gobble, gobble! With over 50 million books in print, Barbara Park's New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, is a classroom favorite and has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for over 20 years! In the 28th Junie B. Jones book, Room One is getting ready for their very own Thanksgiving feast! There's even a contest to see which room can write the best thankful list. The winners will get a pumpkin pie! Only it turns out being thankful is harder than it looks. Because Junie B. is not actually thankful for Tattletale May. Or squash. Or scratchy pilgrim costumes. And pumpkin pie makes her vomit, anyway. Will Room One win the disgusting pie? Can May and Junie B. find common ground? Or will this Thanksgiving feast turn into a Turkey Day Disaster?

USA TODAY:
"Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set."

Publisher's Weekly:
"Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun."

Kirkus Reviews:
"Junie's swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world….A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud."

Time Magazine:
"Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty."

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 - 9 years
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (August 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375870636
• ISBN-13: 978-0375870637
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving

Editorial Reviews

Review

From USA TODAY:
"Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set."

From Publisher' Weekly:
"Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun."

From Kirkus Reviews:
"Junie's swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world....A hilarious, first-rate read- aloud."

From Booklist:
"Park, one of the funniest writers around . . . brings her refreshing humor to the beginning chapter-book set."

From Time magazine:
"Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty."

From School Library Journal:
"Readers will relate instantly to the trials and tribulations of this first grader....She is always endearing and wonderfully funny."

About the Author

BARBARA PARK is beloved by millions as the author of the wildly popular, New York Times Bestselling Junie B. Jones series. She has won over 40 children's book awards and been featured in The NY Times, USA Today, and Time magazine. Twenty years and counting after the world's funniest kindergartner made her debut, Barbara says, "I've never been sure whether Junie B.'s fans love her in spite of her imperfections . . . or because of them. But either way, she's gone out into the world and made more friends than I ever dreamed possible. Barbara Park is also the author of award-winning middle grade novels and bestselling picture books. She and her husband Richard live in Arizona. For games, jokes, and more visit Junie B. online at www.juniebjones.com.

DENISE BRUNKUS' entertaining illustrations have appeared in over fifty books, including each Junie B. title. She lives in Massachussetts with her husband and daughter

 

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 - 9 years
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (August 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375870636
• ISBN-13: 978-0375870637
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving

More About the Author

I grew up in Mt. Holly, New Jersey. It was a small town surrounded by farmland . . . the kind of town where you greet people by name on Main Street. It was only an hour's drive to the ocean. So every summer we spent family vacations on Long Beach Island. My brother and I would ride the waves during the day and play miniature golf at night. It's the kind of idyllic memory that stays in your head long after you've grown up and moved away.
After graduating from high school and spending two years at Rider University, I transferred to the University of Alabama where I met my husband, Richard. Eventually his job brought him to Arizona. We both fell in love with the desert and wanted to stay here forever. Still, during the heat of the Arizona summers, those ocean memories would come rushing back. So-after years of sweaty summers-my husband and I finally built a house on Long Beach Island, the same island where my brother and I rode the waves as kids. In the story business, that's called "coming full circle." These days, Richard and I divide our time between the desert and the ocean. In the words of Junie B. Jones, I'm a lucky duck.

Q. What inspired you to start writing?

In my case, it was sort of "reverse" inspiration. I got a degree in secondary education. My plan was to teach high school history and political science. But, because of a scheduling problem my senior year, I ended up doing my student teaching in the seventh grade. The word disaster doesn't really cover this one. I'll spare you the details. But as I ran screaming from the school building every day, I knew that I would never be a teacher. My husband and I married after graduation, and started a family. A few years later, when I was ready to go to work, I was still haunted by the memories of student teaching. So I was "inspired" to try my hand at writing instead.

Q. How did you go about getting published?

The first children's novel I wrote was Operation: Dump the Chump. As soon as it was finished, I bought a copy of Writer's Market, found some addresses, and started sending it off to publishers who were accepting unsolicited manuscripts. It was rejected three times. All three rejections managed to work in the classic industry one-liner, "It isn't right for our list."

The fourth time I sent it to Alfred Knopf, Inc. A few weeks later, they called and said it was exactly right for their list. I felt like I'd hit the lottery.

Q: You've written middle-grade novels, early chapter books, and picture books. Which do you like writing best?

I can't really say which I like best. But after all the Junie B. books I've written, those certainly come the easiest. The middle-grade novels are more of a challenge. But in some ways, that makes them more rewarding. The last two I've written (Mick Harte Was Here and The Graduation of Jake Moon) were both about very sensitive topics, so it took a long time to get them exactly right. But I think those two books have made me the most proud.

Q. Tell us about your most recent picture book.

It's called, MA! There's Nothing to Do Here! It's about a baby in utero who is bored out of his mind. The idea for it was born (so to speak) when my daughter-in-law, Renee, invited me to my first grandson's ultrasound. Although I had never had an ultrasound myself, I'd seen pictures of other babies in utero. But I wasn't prepared for how amazing it would be to see my own little grandbaby on that screen. I felt like I was watching the Discovery Channel.

Q. How much did you continue to think about the baby after seeing the ultrasound? How did this develop into the idea for the book?

A. On the way out of the doctor's office, I remember thinking, Okay, so now we're all going back to our busy lives. But the baby is still in there just floating around. Except for an occasional kick or hiccup, he's got absolutely nothing to do.

A few months later-when I was getting ready to give Renee a baby shower-I wrote this poem, framed it, and gave it to her as a shower gift.

Q. Of the characters you've created, who is your favorite?

A. This would be a bit like picking a favorite child. I don't have a single favorite character, but again, I lived with the characters Mick and Phoebe Harte and Jake and Skelly Moon for a very long time. So those four are the most dear to me.

The characters I've had the most fun with have been the little ones. Little kids are so free to say whatever is on their minds. They aren't silenced by peer pressure and the notion that they have to sound cool. Molly Vera Thompson in The Kid in the Red Jacket is six, and Thomas Russo in My Mother Got Married and Other Disasters is five. They both were such fun to write about that they led to the creation of Junie B. Jones.

Q. Is Junie B. modeled after you as a child? Did you ever do any of the things that Junie B. does?

A. I was sent to "Principal" in first grade for talking. There were lots of notes sent home that year, as well. My father was on the Board of Education. Not good.

Q. There's been some criticism of the Junie-speak in the series. How do you answer concerns that Junie's grammar is not good for young readers?

A. Honestly, most of the grown-ups I hear from are writing to tell me that Junie B. Jones got their reluctant readers to read. I have drawers full of letters from parents and teachers that are so meaningful to me, I can't bear to part with them. These are adults who understand that fictional literature plays a whole different role in children's lives than a book of grammar or a basic reader.

That having been said, there are always going to be a handful of people who denigrate books that speak in a voice other than their own. I've stopped trying to explain the concept of literature to people like that. Wasted time better spent.

8. What makes you laugh?

My sense of humor is a little bit off-center, I think. In the movies, I usually laugh at parts that no one else seems to think are funny. Then there are movies like Young Frankenstein where I laugh from the opening scene straight through to the end.

Lots of other things make me laugh, as well. My husband and sons make me laugh. My dog. My grandsons. Friends. The absurdities of life. My lopsided cakes. The list goes on . . .

What advice do you have for teachers that are aspiring writers? For kids?

There's nothing revolutionary in my advice, I'm afraid. It's the same old stuff. Write as much and as often as you can. Try different genres to find your niche. Then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. And-above all-be your own worst critic.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars LOL. Another Winner. August 30, 2012

By AfterWord

Format:Hardcover

After seeing the lukewarm review on this page, I decided to read a library copy before buying it for my grandchild. It is hilarious. I sat in a cafe drinking coffee and laughing out loud over this class's contribution to Thanksgiving literature. As an former first grade teacher I can report that the author, Barbara Park, is spot on in reporting what comes out of first graders' mouths. May the series go on forever. I just bought the book. It's a winner.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome Back, Junie B.! September 23, 2012

By Lunette Slarma

Format:Hardcover

Just when I thought that Barbara Park had given up writing about Junie B. Jones forever, I learned that this book was about to be published! I have been reading Junie B. Jones books ever since the first grade and, albeit I am far beyond them now, on the rare occasions where a new story comes out I buy it as soon as possible! I know I am much too old for Junie B. Jones books, but....once you've tried her and have given her a chance to grow on you, you cannot stop reading about her. Besides, one of the reasons why I enjoy Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones books is because they are not just another cheap, little-known, cheesy easy-to-read book intended for elementary graders that is labelled as "humorous" on the cover but is really composed of corny jokes and nothing more. Instead, Junie B. has something to offer for both adults and children to enjoy simultaneously, and since little children may not always understand ALL of Junie B.'s jokes, so it just provides forty-year-olds who find themselves giggling at her books with a good excuse from someone who understands perfectly their reasons for enjoying them: they're too good! I mean, it is not as witty as a few of the past books, but it certainly is still quite hilarious! I felt so sad when this book ended--I know that they are written for first graders, but once you have completed the latest Junie B. Jones book you are hungering for more right away! I know that is how I feel as soon as I've finished one of her books!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny October 6, 2012

By C.Silva

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Funny book. Barbara Park never fails to entertain. My 8 year old daughter and I read this one together and laughed and laughed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and pure Junie B entertaining. September 21, 2012

By babydoll

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I got hooked on Junie B. Jones three years ago as I was teaching. This book is absolutely wonderful entertainment. When we got to the next chapter all I heard was keep on reading! Don't stop reading! It is witty and a lot of fun. It also teaches manners and gives a great lesson in thankfulness. This could be my favorite Junie B so far!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A 5 year old's review October 22, 2012

By Oklahoma

Format:Hardcover

My daughter's pre-k class is about halfway through this book trying to get it done by Thanksgiving break. My daughter LOVES June B. She is always coming home telling me of her hilarious hijinks. This book seems to teach a little bit more about what Thanksgiving is truly about and my daughter even wanted to make her own list of what to be thankful for. Love it when my little girl asks for books for presents instead of some plastic toy.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best Junie B book August 7, 2012

By nunya

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is not the best book out of the series. I didn't experience as many laugh out loud moments like I did in the previous ones. This book is basically about the kids making up a list about what they are thankful for and I didn't think that it was very exciting. However, it was nice to see appearances from Gus Vallony (how often do you see that guy huh? not very often!), Richie Nanna, and Gladys Gutzman. This book just made me miss the older Junie B. Jones books. It's definitely readable, but I don't think it's worth re-reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars Please with purchase June 3, 2013

By Anita McMahan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

glad I purchased; granddaughter was happy with the hardback book. All her other Junie B books are paperback and although she had already read this one, she was happy to receive it.

5.0 out of 5 stars present for daughter May 16, 2013

By Anthony Burns

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

may sound silly , but my daughter is 23 years old -she has all the books -
she got the biggest kick out of getting this - wonderful author who brings great joy to children of all ages !