In the 24th installment of Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones series of illustrated early chapter books, Boo... And I Mean It!, the precocious first grader is worried about Halloween--with good reason. Paulie Allen Puffer has given her five good reasons, in fact, not least of which is that real witches and monsters go trick-or-treating on Halloween (no costumes necessary); if you carve pumpkins with pointy teeth, they will bite your feet; and...shhh...candy corn isn't really corn. Junie B. goes to great lengths to avoid trick-or-treating altogether, but she finally decides that if she dresses up like Squirty the Clown (a disturbing circus clown who terrified her grandmother by chasing her with a seltzer bottle and making her wear an "unattractive balloon hat"), even the most horrific witches and monsters will be scared off. As ever, her way of expressing herself "I did a groan" and "Chills came on my arms" is grammatically unique, but as you get to know her, more endearing than alarming. Children who have mixed feelings about Halloween festivities will relate to Junie B.'s fears, and they'll be relieved when Halloween passes without a monster attack or pumpkin bite, just a delicious bag of 100% candy. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson
Review
“Junie B. is sassy, hilarious, and insightful. . . . Park understands the passions and fears of first-graders.”–Booklist
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Inside Flap
Halloween with Junie B. has got to be a scream! Get ready for a “Halloweenie” adventure with the world’s funniest first grader!
“Despite Junie B.’s ascent to the rigors of first grade, Park’s feisty, funny heroine retains her trademark use of language, mirthful malapropisms, and essential larger-than-life personality.”—Kirkus Reviews
“First grade offers a whole year of exciting possibilities for Junie B. . . . As always, Park is in touch with what kids know and how they feel.”—School Library Journal
About the Author
Barbara Park is beloved by millions as the author of the wildly popular Junie B. Jones series. Her Junie B. Jones books are consistently on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Her middle-grade novels, which include Skinnybones, The Kid in the Red Jacket, My Mother Got Married (and Other Disasters), and Mick Harte Was Here, have won over 40 children’s book awards. Ms. Park holds a B.S. in education from the University of Alabama. She has two grown sons and lives with her husband, Richard, in Scottsdale, AZ.
Junie B., First Grader: Boo...and I MEAN It! FROM OUR EDITORS
Junie B. has the frights over Halloween in Barbara Park's 24th episode about the famous first grader. This time, thanks to Paulie Allen Puffer's "5 scary secrets" about Halloween, Junie is ultra-nervous that the holiday is filled with actual monsters and witches that go trick-or-treating incognito, foot-eating pumpkins, clawing black witch cats, and other ghastly horrors. Poor Junie is on the verge of bowing out of Halloween entirely when she conjures up a foolproof plan: Be scarier than the monsters by dressing as Squirty the Clown, who previously frightened the dickens out of Grandma Miller with an overactive seltzer bottle. Will Junie be able to conquer her fears? Readers will laugh themselves silly finding out, and parents will be thankful that Junie is setting a great example about being brave and not scaring others. A deliciously hilarious treat for your collection.
ANNOTATION
With Halloween approaching, Junie B. needs to find a costume that will scare off the real witches and ghosts that she believes will be out on the holiday.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
It's Halloween!
Only here's the trouble. Junie B. Jones is afraid to go trick-or-treating. 'Cause what if witches and monsters are really real? And what if pumpkins with sharp teeth can eat your feet? And don't even get her started on the candy corn problem. So how is Junie B. supposed to even enjoy this scary holiday? But then -- with a little help from a friend -- she gets an idea for a costume guaranteed to outscare even the creepiest competition. And so maybe Halloween will turn out to be a real scream after all!
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Barbara Park's latest, Junie B., First Grader: Boo... and I Mean It!, illus. by Denise Brunkus, finds the indefatigable star a bit apprehensive of trick-or-treating: "I'm going to see real, actual monsters and witches! Plus I'll probably be coming home with a bat in my hair." (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Karen Leggett
Halloween becomes a bigger holiday every year, but what if the thought of monsters and witches just makes you scared? Join Junie B., whose hilarious antics and conversation make it okay for any little kid to be scared by a holiday that is supposed to be enchanting. Junie B. solves the problem by talking to her stuffed animals and dressing up as a clown who is supposed to tease the monsters and scare them back. In this case the only one who is scared is Junie B.'s dad, who returns from a business trip to find her asleep in bed wearing all her clown make-up. This chapter book is a perfect read-aloud in families or classrooms both because of the sensitive, realistic way it deals with common childhood fears but also because there are so many lines that will make both adults and children giggle or grin: "Me and Philip Johnny Bob (a stuffed elephant) took a real nap. It was an accident. 'Cause both of us are too old for naps. But sometimes naps just happen." And then there is the etiquette of Halloween: "I got raisins. And a pencil. And a box of trail mix. I said thank you to all of those people. 'This is the fibbingest day of my life,' I told my mother." Junie B.—and Barbara Park—are at their funny best once again. 2004, Random House, Ages 4 to 8.
Art & Photography
Book Info
