by Barbara Park
First published 1992
Junie B. Jones stands at the edge of kindergarten, but one enormous problem blocks her path: the school bus. This yellow monster smells terrible and looks even worse. Junie B. decides she simply will not ride it. She hatches plan after plan to avoid climbing those steep steps. She hides in the bathroom. She tries to convince her mother to drive her. She even considers walking home alone. But the bus keeps coming back, day after day, waiting for her with its open doors. Other kids climb aboard without fear, but Junie B. knows better. The bus represents everything scary about starting school. As her schemes grow more desperate, Junie B. must face the truth that growing up means doing frightening things. Her battle with the bus becomes a battle with her own courage.
Genres: fiction, humor, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
80 pages · Paperback · Random House Books for Young Readers