This month, in conjunction with the Leelanau Enterprise, we are hosting a series of student essays which discuss the importance of reading. Students were asked to respond to one of two prompts, and to keep their essays under 400 words. Winning pieces will appear in the Leelanau Enterprise during March is Reading Month.
Junie B. Jones
by Sarah Jane Crimmins
When I was a young girl reading was always an adventure. Right before bed I would grab my newest selection from the library, snuggle up under the covers, and dive into a world of imagination and delight. Back in those days the books that called to me weren’t the popular series like Harry Potter, The Boxcar Children, or Magic Tree House. The books I loved and still find hilarious to this day are the Junie B. Jones books. The spunky, clever, and boisterous girl that is Junie B narrates her tales of kindergarten and first grade and has stayed close to my heart since my days in elementary school.
With titles like Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth and Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peaky Spying, I soon became entranced with the series and collected as many books as I could. Every book began with the same statement, “My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don’t like Beatrice. I just like B and that’s all.” Junie B. is accompanied throughout her stories by her best friends That Grace (yes, she refers to her friend as That Grace), Herb, Lennie, Jose, and Richy Lucille. More often than not Junie B. gets herself into trouble by goofing off during class or annoying her kindergarten teacher who she likes to refer to as Mrs. “and that’s all.”
These books not only kept me laughing throughout most of my childhood but they also brought me closer to the ones I love. Whenever I went downstate to visit my grandma, or Mimi, as I like to call her, I always knew to bring my latest Junie B. Jones book. Mimi thought Junie B. was just about the funniest character from a book she had ever encountered. During my visits Mimi and I would cozy up on the sofa or her chaise lounge and read aloud the tales of Junie B. until our sides hurt and tears were streaming down our face from laughing so hard.
The moments I spent with Mimi reading Junie B. Jones will always hold a special place in my heart. They remind me of a time when life was care-free and easy, and the hilarity of kindergarten could make everything seem like it was going to be okay. Books like Junie B. Jones have the power to bring people together and help us laugh about life every once in a while. Whenever I’m feeling down I can always look back on the times I spent reading with Mimi and remember that if Junie B. was ever in trouble she would just say, “That’s a hoot, I tell you!” Never take life too seriously, and always approach it with a sense of humor.
I also used to read Junie B. Jones, my favorite was always “Junie B. Jones and Her Mushy Gushy Valentine”. I like how you wrote about the times you spent with your grandmother reading Junie B. and how whenever you’re feeling down you think about that.
I know what it’s like to snuggle up under the covers and read, although my fantasies are written by J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling. It’s a shared feeling embraced by all readers that outsiders wouldn’t know; I can’t even name it. For me, though, it’s being nice and warm while engrossed in the adventures of Harry Potter and Bilbo Baggins.
That is a great story! I remember reading those books also! I enjoyed reading it because it reminded me of being little and having my grandparents read books to me. Your first paragraph is very grabbing.
When I read this it made me laugh. I loved Junie B. She always made me laugh and I could connect with her. I really enjoyed this peice.
I used to read Juny B. Jones all the time when I was young. So i know what you mean by her sense of humor. I liked how you started you intro, you drew my attention as soon as I started to read. I also how you described her actions in the stories.