Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Bibliography
Park, Barbara. 1992. Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. Illustrated by Denise Brunkus. ISBN: 0439136830.

Plot Summary
It’s Junie B. Jones first day at Kindergarten and first time riding the school bus. She does not like the yellow bus and the children are mean to her. Her new friend Lucille tells Junie B. that her brother told her that children pour chocolate milk on their head in the school bus. That just scared Junie B. Jones and she hid in her class so that nobody could find her and make her ride the school bus. Junie B. Jones is not found before she makes a big scene.

Critical Analysis
This book is the first of the many sequels in the Junie B. Jones series written by Barbara Park. It is brilliantly written and extremely funny. It deals with the normal anxieties about first day of school and riding the big, yellow school bus. The language is very simple and easy to understand for beginner chapter book readers. The sentences are sometimes not grammatically correct but it is how a six year old usually talks and also uniquely defines the character of Junie B. Jones. Junie B. Jones is a loveable character with an exuberant personality. Girls will especially enjoy the little adventures of Junie B. Jones.

This is a perfect for slightly confident readers who want to venture into reading chapter books. This book is a short novel that even parents can read aloud to their children to encourage reading chapter books. Reading short chapter books like Junie B. Jones books can boost reader’s confidence in their reading abilities.