Junie B., First Grader (At Last!)

by Barbara Park

Random House, Nov., 2001.
Hardcover, 6 pages.
ISBN: 0375802932
Ages 4-8

Junie B., First Grader (At Last!) is number eighteen in a series of stories based on the misadventures and misgivings of a lively little heroine who makes all the mistakes that most children make. The story is told in first person by the child herself, so the reader can share in all of Junie's worries and opinions. Young readers will find this book easy to read and absolutely hilarious, as its bedeviled subject stumbles through the beginning days of school with a new class and a new teacher. The reader discovers along with Junie that last year's friends may not be this year's friends and that sometimes the person you do not particularly care for can become a really good friend.

Junie suffers through changing social relationships as she finds herself crowded out of an old friendship from last year, but the really big problem in school comes as a complete surprise to Junie B. Her teacher, Mr. Scary, discovers that Junie's reading problem may be caused by poor eyesight. Only a child can understand the enormous sentence having to wear glasses is. Will people make comments? Even worse, will they laugh? Children will laugh with and at Junie as she goes through the agony of wearing her glasses in class. Junie B., First Grader will be popular with elementary students because it is funny. It is definitely the kind of book that will be recommended by one student to another, and this is the very best recommendation any book can have.

--Sarah Reaves White

Junie B., First Grader (At Last!) is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the Dec. - Jan., 2002 of The Internet Writing Journal.