Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl

Title: Junie B. Jones is (almost) a flower girl       

Author: Barbara Park

Illustrator: Denise Brunkus

Date of publication: 1999

Publishing Company: Scholastic Inc.

Awards: n/a

Genre: Fiction

Subgenre: Realistic Fiction

Theme: Don’t rush into growing up – Enjoy being a child.

Primary Characters: Junie B. Jones

Secondary characters: Bo (the flower girl)

Classroom Use: Funny, short chapter books that I could use to introduce and read aloud with the classroom. The Junie B. Series are fun and easy to read!!

Summary: Junie B. Jones decides that she is going to prove to her mother that she is a grown-up lady. Amazingly enough she finds out that her Aunt Flo is getting married!! It’ll be her first wedding and is very excited about it. Automatically, she declares herself as the flower girl and a part of the wedding party without even asking anyone. The only thing Junie B. can think of is that this is the perfect opportunity to prove her mature nature. However, she is taken by surprise when her Aunt Flo tells her that they already picked out a flower girl, Bo. She is sad & disappointed. Aunt Flo decides to make Junie B. the “alternate” flower girl, which makes Junie B., excited again. She ultimately schemes and wishes for Bo to get sick or something so that she will not be in attendance for the wedding and then she can be the flower girl. The wedding day comes around and to her surprise Bo is walking down the isle as the flower girl. She still tries to prove that she is a grown-up lady, but its Bo that teaches her that sometimes being a child is way more fun than being a grown up!! Junie B. and Bo end up having childish fun at the wedding and become friends in the end.