Junie B., First Grader #26 Aloha-ha-ha! by Barbara Park

Title/Series:   Junie B., First Grader  #26 Aloha-ha-ha!

Author: Barbara Park

Pages: 119 pages

Copyright  Date: 2006

Reading Level: 2^nd  grade

Interest Level: 3^rd  – 5^th grade

Summary:  Junie B. and her family are going to Hawaii!  Throughout the trip, Junie B gets ready to share the adventures with her first grade classroom by using the camera and photo journal that her teacher Mr. Scary gave her.  The trip starts out rough when Junie B. has trouble with the grouchy ladies on the plane.  Next, the parrot inner-tube squeezes the life out of Junie B..  The jellyfish attack made another bad picture for the journal.  Will Junie B. have a great or horrible vacation photo journal to share with her first grade class?

Educational: Poor – poor grammar, poor spelling, explains idea of photo captions

                Note: The Junie B. Jones series as a whole is not the best reading material for young minds.  If your child is a reluctant reader, any book that interests them is fine to read.  The important thing for a beginning reader to do is read anything from a cereal box to a great novel.  If your child is already an interested reader though, this series should be avoided.  Children learn vocabulary, grammar, and  spelling through reading.  Throughout the Junie B. Jones series bad spelling and grammar is used.  The Junie B. First Grader books do not have as many spelling errors as the Junie B. Jones books, although they do have many grammar errors.  This seems funny to the advanced reader, but can be confusing to a beginning reader. 

Content: Average – shows what not to do in a structured setting such as a classroom or airplane (example if the teacher isn’t looking at you, stand up and shout), teaches about Hawaii

Message: Good – give new things a chance