"Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business" by Barbra Park is a popular series that follows a young girl (Kindergarten) through her life and experiences. In this specific book, Junie B. receives some news that she isn't very excited for, she is getting a baby brother. Junie B. Jones, like most children, does not know how to handle the news at first and doesn't know what to expect. After a series of events, Junie B. learns to love her little brother and is much more excited than was at first.

I picked up this book mostly because I wanted to relive my childhood experience of reading (and loving) this series. I must admit, I was a little surprised to see how bratty Junie B. was to her peers, parents, teachers, etc. There was a lot of the use of the words "stupid" and "Dumb" which may not seem like a big deal, but might not want to be a vocabulary that is encouraged with young children.

Overall, the message was sweet and relatable. It touches on the topic of getting a new sibling, which is very realistic for a child to be going through in elementary school. It made me think back to when I first received the news of my own sibling's arrival and how I felt, and it could be a good book if a child is unsure of what to expect. I really enjoy the cover of the book, and it gives a little insight that the story might involve a baby since there is a crib. There are also several black and white pictures throughout the book that show what is going on in the story at that particular time. Despite lacking color, these pictures are rich in detail and do a great job at complementing the events in the story. Since this book is a short chapter book, the pictures provide a nice break for the students to enjoy while reading. I think this book would be great for students first through third grade. It is a chapter book, but with pictures and simple language, it would be easy for both a younger and older student to understand.

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business

By: Leslie Alexander


After reading Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business by Barbara Park for the first time when I was in elementary, I didn’t realize that people wanted the book banned. I reread the book for a project in my 9th grade English class, and I started looking into exactly why people seek to ban Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. People seek to ban the book because of bad grammar and language, her attitude, and punctuation. Others say it the negative emotions it gives. However, I don’t that these reasons are adequate to justify banning the book from elementary schools. I don’t believe that the Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business should be banned from elementary schools. Junie B. Jones is fun and goes on adventures, her personality, and lessons that she learns.


Junie B. Jones is a series of a little girl(Junie B. Jones) that is in kindergarten. She is vary energetic and has an attitude but is a lot of fun. In the book Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business Junie B. and her mother get in a fight and “Then me and mother hugged. And I sat back down at the table. And I finished eating my dinner.” This demonstrates that Junie B. learned a lesson on forgiveness and that people will forgive you. Junie B. Jones told her classmates something her grandmother told her, “‘Because she told me that me that my brother was a little monkey. Only she didn't mean he was a real monkey. She just meant he was cute. Only who the heck knew that dumb thing.’” This demonstrates that Junie B. and the others took it literally but learned a lesson out of it. Books are banned for many reason. On reason is, “Hundreds of lurid and dramatic covers stood on the racks before her, and there was, she felt, "nothing, not a thing, that I could imagine giving my daughter. It was all vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff."” Also, people ban books because, “Darker than when you were a child, my dear: So dark that kidnapping and pederasty and incest and brutal beatings are now just part of the run of things in novels directed, broadly speaking, at children from the ages of 12 to 18.” Know wonder why people do this but it is not as bad as people think.


Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business and the rest of Junie B. Jones series should be read in elementary schools. Junie B. Jones is a fun little girl and kids can learn a lot from her. Kids will love reading about Junie B. as much as I did and love to read the rest of the series.

This book is about a little girl named Junie B. Jones who found out she is getting a "monkey" according to her grandmother! She is told by her parents she is getting a baby and isn't too sure of the idea of not being the only kid around the house. Her parents go to the hospital to have her baby brother and her grandparents are left to watch Junie B. Jokingly, Junie B.'s grandmother mentions her little monkey brother. Junie B. takes her grandmother literally and thinks her little brother is an actual monkey. She goes to school and gets in fights with other students because she truly believes her little brother is a real live monkey. She gets sent to the principal's office and the principal eventually calls her grandmother to clear up the confusion that her little brother isn't a real monkey, he is just cute like a monkey.

I love Junie B. Jones books. I like how they are written from Junie B.'s perspective so that students her age can relate to her more. I also like how there are illustrations in the book which is something a lot of chapter books don't have. It helps bring names to faces in the book so students can envision the story in their minds. This would be a great storytime book for a teacher to read if she knew some students could relate to expecting a baby sibling. It would also be good for young readers to read on their own because it is easy to read and large print font.

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business follows the sassy kindergarten protagonist that we all know and love so much. In this book, Junie B. Jones gets some big, not-so-exciting news in her eyes. She’s going to get a baby sibling that may or may not smell like P.U. When her mother goes to the hospital to have the baby, Junie B. gets to stay with her grandparents. A slight misunderstanding in conversation ends up creating a few problems for the new big sister. Junie B. Jones just can’t wait to tell her class about her brand new baby brother who is… a monkey! Of course this news gets the class, mostly Lucille and Grace, buzzing with excitement. So much that they end up vying for the title of Junie B.’s best friend to see him first. Things escalate and Junie B. finds herself in the principals office, where the problem is quickly resolved. This book can help a student who may be dealing with the addition of a baby into their home. It also helps teach about miscommunication and how to fix problems caused by it. Parks does an excellent job of voicing a kindergartener. It perfectly captures the age levels very black or white, almost impulsive thinking. Some may find Junie B.’s outbursts rude, but I believe this book perfectly encompasses the learning that comes with being in kindergarten. We see a lot of growth even in this short book from Junie B. Jones and I think many students could relate to its message.