Meet Junie B. Jones, that lovable, mischievous kindergartner, in this humorous series by Barbara Park. Follow Junie B. from her first day of kindergarten to her last as she gets into one scrape after another. While laughing along with Junie B. and her friends, your students will begin to expand their word recognition, develop a sense of story, and begin to read these early chapter books on their own.

In this guide, a social studies lesson is used to discuss the various careers that women and men have traditionally occupied throughout history and the importance of Junie’s statement, "Girls can be anything boys can be!" The science lesson in the second classroom activity focuses on physical characteristics of students’ family members to help them understand genes and heredity. Both of these topics are found in the books Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth (#3) and Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren (#7).

About the Books

#3 Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth
Junie B.'s having a rough week. First she got punishment for shooting off her mouth in kindergarten. And now she's in big trouble again! 'Cause Monday is Job Day, and Junie B. told her class that she's got the bestest job of all. Only, what the heck is it?

#7 Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren
There's a new boy in kindergarten, and guess what? He's the handsomest guy Junie B. has ever seen. She and Lucille and that Grace all want him for a boyfriend. Only, he thinks Junie B. is a nutball. Just 'cause she couldn't stop laughing and rolling. So how is she supposed to get that boy to love her?

Barbara Park says . . .
"There’s nothing cuter than a kindergarten romance. But I have to admit, I was a little bit annoyed with Junie B. when I saw how fast she tried to turn herself into Lucille or Grace, just to interest Handsome Warren!

"‘Shame on you!’ I thought as I wrote. ‘Just be yourself! He’ll like you! I promise!’

"Then I had to laugh. Because it’s the exact same advice my mother gave me (at least a kajillion times).

"Okay, Mom . . . I get it now . . .

And (I’m hoping) so does Junie B."
© 1996 by Barbara Park

Classroom Connections

Pre-Reading Activities

In Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth, Junie B. brags that she will come to school on Job Day dressed as the best job ever, but she spoke before she really knew what that job would be. Ask your students if they’ve ever spoken before thinking and what the results were. Discuss the importance of acquiring all information prior to volunteering for a service or offering advice.

Junie B. tries to get Warren to like her as much as he likes her friends in Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren. However, she thinks that nice dresses and fancy running shoes are the way to get Warren’s attention. This is a good way to discuss the importance of being yourself. Ask your students to make a list of all the things that make them special and then share the list with the class.

Boys and Girls Together

"Girls can be anything boys can be!" yells Junie B. Confirm Junie’s assertion with your students by having them list men and women they know in similar professions. Discuss with them how the career "equality" of today didn’t always exist. List careers that men and women traditionally occupied throughout history, discussing how these jobs were tied to general gender roles of "caretaker" and "breadwinner." Note when and why things began to change in America. Give examples demonstrating whether or not women in different countries enjoy the same personal and career choices as women in this country do. Conclude by having students write a short paragraph about what they would like to be when they grow up and why.

Junie B. has straight hair, but she loves Grace’s "automatically curly" hair. Define, in simple terms, the concepts of genes and heredity. Discuss with your students how physical characteristics, such as eye color, hair texture, and height, are inherited from our family’s genetic pool. Have students chart individual physical characteristics of family members (including paternal grandparents, maternal grandparents, parents, themselves, and their siblings). Then, have them analyze the results, indicating which traits emerge as dominant in their particular family groups.

For use with #3 Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth:
Junie B.’s Mad Money
Talking Careers with Junie B.

For use with #7 Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren:
You Are What You Eat
Just Be Yourself