About the Junie B. Jones Series and This Guide

The lovable, mischievous Junie B. of Barbara Park’s humorous series is growing up! She has graduated from kindergarten and moved up to the first grade. Follow Junie B. as she continues to get into one scrape after another. While laughing along with Junie and her friends, your students will expand their word recognition, develop a sense of story, and begin to read these early chapter books on their own.

In this guide, Junie B.’s baby bird lunch box in Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch transforms young readers into young birdwatchers. A science lesson acquaints students with many facts about our feathered friends and leads to further learning activities in art, music, and language arts. A companion printable activity sheet sharpens thinking and expands vocabulary in a fun word game.

Junie’s B.’s notion that the tooth fairy recycles teeth in Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder sparks a second lesson familiarizing students with recycling and its importance to our environment. A neighborhood survey extends environmental awareness through math activities as students tally, graph, and discuss their poll results. A companion printable activity sheet shows students more about what lies beneath the surface of their teeth.

About the Books

#19 Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch

Something very wonderful is happening to Junie B. Jones. And it’s called—hurray, hurray!—she’s getting to be a professional lunch lady! And that means hanging out with Mrs. Gutzman in the cafeteria. And standing behind the counter. And even wearing a real actual hair net! Who knows? Pretty soon she could be the boss of the whole entire lunch operation!

#20 Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder

Yikes . . . It’s a looth tooth! One of Junie B. Jones’s top front teeth is loose! Only Junie B. is not that thrilled about this development. Because what if she looks like toothless Uncle Lou? And even worse . . . what’s all this tooth fairy business? Like, who is this woman, really? And what does she do with all those used teeth? So many questions, so little time.

Classroom Connections

Pre-Reading Activities

Using a show of hands, ask your students how many of them bring their lunch to school and how many buy their lunch in school. Allow individual students to explain why they choose to do so (cheaper, cafeteria food likes/dislikes, etc.) Ask the students who bring lunch what they carry it in (paper bag, lunch box, backpack). Tell them that Junie B. is so thrilled with her new lunch box she can’t take her eyes off it. Have them guess what might be on it, offering hints when necessary. For example, “It came from a nature store” or “It shows certain kinds of animal babies.” Once they guess the answer, ask your class: “What makes a bird a bird?” Identify characteristics such as feathers, beaks, feet, and wings and what functions or purposes each serves. Then ask about what birds they know or have heard about in particular. Have them share some of their favorite bird stories.

Show your class the recycling symbol on various products and ask them if they know what it means. Explain the symbol and define the term recycling, making a list of things in the classroom and at home made from materials that can be recycled (glass, metals, plastics, paper). Using information provided on labels, list those items already made from recycled materials (brown paper bags, egg cartons, aluminum cans). Help students to appreciate why recycling is important to our environment and to our standard of living. Hint that they are going to discover some very interesting ideas Junie B. has about recycling in this latest book.

Junie B., the “B” Is for “Birdwatcher”

In Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch, Junie B. feels happy inside every time she looks at her new lunch box with pictures of baby birds on it. Imagine how much happier she will be when she learns that her lunch box shows just a few of the 8,600 species of birds in the world today!

Have each student create his/her own Official Junie B. Birdwatcher Badge, cutting out a bird silhouette on construction paper and decorating with crayons, feathers, and other art materials of choice. Explaining the importance of quiet and gentle movement in observing birds, prepare your class for a series of short Bird Watcher Field Trips around your school or neighborhood. Ask students what birds they think they may encounter and where they might find them.

Upon return to the classroom, have each student develop a guide called “My Neighborhood Field Guide to Birds.” Students may draw a picture of each bird observed, listing the species name and location found, along with physical descriptions such as size, color patterns, shape, and voice. Then, using Internet and other library resources, assist students in learning more about each of the birds in their guide, including feeding habits, nesting/nurturing behaviors, etc. Students may then extend their research to birds found in other habitats—such as eagles, owls, woodpeckers, and parrots—and prepare a report on “My Favorite Bird.”

Conclude activities by sharing folktales from different cultures featuring bird characters (The Nightingale, Raven, The Seven Swans) and through a “Feathered Friends Sing-a-long” including familiar tunes such as “Robin in the Rain,” “Six Little Ducks,” “Bye-Bye Blackbird.”

Waste Not, Want Not

Through her classroom lesson with Dan, Dan the Soda Can and her idea that Ollie’s new tooth is really her very own recycled tooth, Junie B. sees the sense as well as the “cents” in recycling. After reading Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder, have students conduct a brief survey to determine if family members, neighbors, and school personnel support and practice recycling materials at home and in the workplace. Questions might include:

• Do you think recycling is important to do?
• Do you recycle at home on a consistent basis?
• Do you recycle at work on a consistent basis?
• Do you choose to buy products made from recycled materials whenever possible?
• Do you think recycling makes sense?

As a class, tally the Yes/No answers to each question and create a bar graph to display on the classroom bulletin board. Compare and contrast the totals from each question.

Conclude with a fun game of “Recycling Bingo.” Have students divide a card or sheet of paper into 16 squares organized in four columns and four rows (or pass out copies of a pre-made grid). List 16 recyclable items on the blackboard, and have students randomly write one in each of the squares on their card. Then, place individual mini cards for each of the items in the bottom half of a recycled milk or juice container. As you call out the items, have students cover their squares with M&Ms or other candies. When a student has four in a row down, across, or diagonally, he or she should shout “Recycle!” and as a prize, the winner can eat (and recycle) the candies!

Printable Activities

For use with #19 Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch:
Junie B.’s Magical Words

For use with #20 Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder:
Junie B.’s Tooth Tale
Click here for the answers.

Rosemary B. Stimola, Ph.D., teaches Children’s Literature at Hostos Community College/City University of New York and serves as educational and editorial consultant to publishers of children's books.