Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Barbara Park (Author), Christina Moore (Narrator)

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC; Unabridged edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078872617X
• ISBN-13: 978-0788726170
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,941,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious- the best of Junie B., April 11, 2002

By 

ARG (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (Junie B. Jones, No. 2) (Paperback)

My daughter and I have read all of the Junie B. Jones books, and this is one of the best- funny and on-target from start to finish. When Junie B's parents tell her they have a suprise for her, she is disappointed to learn that it will be a new baby, and not a present. Things worsen when mom won't accept Junie B's suggestions for names ("Teeny" being one of them, since the baby will be so small).

But the trouble really begins when Junie B's grandma comes home from seeing the new arrival and refers to him as the "cutest little monkey" she's ever seen. Junie B takes this literally, and goes to school insisting that her new brother is really a monkey. Hilarity ensues- I couldn't stop laughing as my then first-grade daughter read it to me.

In addition to the abundant humor, the book also shows that it is a confusing world out there, and that grownups' behavior is frequently inexplicable. Young readers can identify with Junie B's efforts to navigate through the disappointments and challenges of family and school even as they are entertained by her.

This is a great choice for kids who are just making the switch to chapter books. The chapters are short enough so that new readers will not be overwhelmed, and there are plenty of excellent illustrations to help kids interpret the text, and to provide additional humor.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Sweet, and Slightly Naughty, November 13, 2007

By 

C. Gruver (TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (Book & CD) (Paperback)

There seems to be a debate whether these books are appropriate for young children. This is my first Junie B. book (I had been reluctant to try them due to the debate). While I see both sides, I come down squarely in favor of them, if they are read with a parent or teacher. First, they are very 'real' -- Junie B. talks and thinks like a real six-year-old. Second, they are very, very funny -- for children and adults. Third, they provide teaching moments for the adult to discuss Junie's conduct and feelings -- and by extension the child's feelings. (I used this story as a vehicle to discuss my four-year-old's frustration with her two-year-old brother's conduct.) But there are some downsides. First, the grammar is too 'real' -- it is how real six-year-olds talk. Since I am reading to my four-year-old, I edit the text as I read to clean up some of the grammar. Even if I did not, my daughter's grammar is not going to be harmed by Junie B. Second, Junie B. is not a model six-year-old -- and who is? Nevertheless, an adult should discuss with the child times when Junie B. acts inappropriately. My daughter and I also read Magic TreehouseMagic Tree House Series Books: Night of the Ninjas / Dolphins At Daybreak / Polar Bears Past Bedtime / Tonight on the Titanic / Magic Tree House Research Guide: Rain Forests (Unboxed Set of MARY POPE OSBORNE Magic TreeHouse Books, # 5, 9, 12, 17 + 1 Research Guide) and Geronimo Stilton The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid (Geronimo Stilton, No. 2)books. My daughter likes all three series. I am bored to tears with the Magic Treehouse (and frankly dislike the messages in some of the books). My favorite is Geronimo Stilton -- I love the high quality paper, pictures, and text; the stories are funny and engaging.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!, May 14, 2003

By 

S. L. Leuchs "stacemay1" (Glendale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (Junie B. Jones, No. 2) (Paperback)

Junie B. is getting a baby brother! While her mother is at the hospital Junie B. stays with her grandparents. While at their house, her grandmother calls her new baby brother the "cutest little monkey" and Junie B. begins to have an idea.
She tells her whole class that her brother is a real live monkey and begins selling views of her brother to the highest bidder. What she finds out however, is that her brother is just a baby - nothing special to her - not even a real live monkey.
This may be one of the funniest books I have ever read - both as an adult or child. It is humorous and relatable and completely understandable for all children. They are able to connect with Junie B. easier and better than with some other children's book characters.