When I wrote my "Arizona Writers" blog post a few weeks ago, I forgot to mention an author incredibly close to my heart. This author was Barbara Park, who wrote of a young girl, full of character and spunk — Miss Junie B. Jones.
"Hi, 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."
On November 15th, 2013, Barbara Park died after a battle with ovarian cancer. She lived in Scottsdale, Arizona at the time.
The first Junie B. Jones book I read was "Junie B. Jones is not a Crook," in the midst of my own kindergarten experience with thievery. Yes, it happened. I didn't do the thieving, but I have seen the sneakiest of kindergarteners. I remember having my first kindergarten crush, and consulting Junie B. to see how she handled the situation. A good number of Junie B. Jones books reside on my bookshelves, and I have never had the heart to give them away. At this point, I don't think I ever will.
Junie B. Jones is simply a breath of fresh air in children's literature. It departs enough from personified animals, but not too far from reality like "Captain Underpants." She is an opinionated child, which I think we all were. Her two best friends were Lucille and "That Grace," and her boyfriend Ricardo left her, saying that they should "chase other people."
I believe Barbara Park's books will be her legacy and she will live on as one of the most respected authors. She truly was a child at heart, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You're never too old to feel the way Junie B. felt about "That Grace" and snootiness, or to experience the fear of a new life path like first grade.
You can reach me at arabusa@asu.edu or on Twitter, @marie_eo.
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