Junie B. Jones #4: Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying

Illustrated by Denise Brunkus
Look inside
“Hilarious. Barbara Park makes reading fun.” —Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man
 
Barbara Park’s #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for more than twenty-five years. Over 65 million copies sold!
 
Meet the World’s Funniest Kindergartner—Junie B. Jones! Junie B. is the bestest spier in the world. That’s ’cause she has sneaky feet. And her nose doesn’t whistle when she breathes. But guess what? Junie B. might be real sneaky. And real peeky. But when she spies on Mrs., she could get into real trouble!
 
USA Today:
“Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set.”
 
Publishers Weekly:
“Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun.”
 
Kirkus Reviews:
“Junie’s swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world. . . . A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud.”
 
Time:
“Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty.”
© PamelaTidswell
Barbara Park was best-known as the creator and author of the New York Times bestselling Junie B. Jones series, the stories of an outrageously funny kindergartener that have kept kids (and their grownups) laughing—and reading—for over two decades. The series was consistently a #1 New York Times bestseller, spending over 180 weeks on the list, and Barbara and her books were profiled in such national outlets as Time, Newsweek, USA Today, the New York Times, and Today. Barbara Park arrived at the writing profession through an indirect route. Before becoming a bestselling and beloved children’s author, she originally intended to teach high school history and political science. She got her secondary education degree but quickly realized that her calling was to be a writer.  After several rejections, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers acquired her first manuscript, Operation: Dump the Chump and two others. Don’t Make Me Smile was published first in 1981, followed by Operation: Dump the Chump (1982) and Skinnybones (1982).    She went on to write over 50 books, from the picture book Ma! There’s Nothing to Do Here!, a love letter to her grandson, to middle grade novels such as Skinnybones, The Kid in the Red Jacket, Mick Harte Was Here, and The Graduation of Jake Moon. Barbara won more than 40 children’s book awards, including several Children’s Choice Awards.  Barbara Park was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, on April 21, 1947, and spent most of her adult life in Arizona. There she, with her husband, Richard, raised her two sons and spent time with her two young grandsons. Park died on November 15, 2013 after fighting ovarian cancer heroically for seven and a half years. View titles by Barbara Park
Denise Brunkus is a children’s book illustrator. She has illustrated more than 60 books, including the wildly popular Junie B. Jones series and Read All About It! by Laura and Jenna Bush. View titles by Denise Brunkus
Chapter 4: Cookie Mix and Other Stuff

The next day was Saturday.

Saturday is the day me and my mother go to the grocery store.

I have rules at that place.

Like no hollering the words I WANT ICE CREAM!

And no calling Mother the name of big meanie when she won't buy it.

And no eating a bag of marshmallows that doesn't belong to you.

Or else the store guy yanks it away from you. And he says, Eating is the same thing as stealing, young lady.

Then he takes you to Mother. And she has to pay for the whole entire bag. Except for I don't know why. 'Cause I only ate three of those softy guys and that's all.

The carts at the grocery store have seats in them. That's where babies sit. Only not me. 'Cause big girls get to walk all by theirselves.

And guess what else? One time Mother even let me push the whole big cart without any help.

Except for then some baked beanies got knocked off their shelf. And a grandma got her foot caught in my tire. And so now I have to wait till I'm bigger.

My favorite aisle is where the cookies are. That's 'cause sometimes there is a lady at a table there. And she gives me and Mother cookie samples. And we don't even have to pay for them.

Their name is freebies, I think.

Only too bad for me. 'Cause this time the lady wasn't there.

"Darn it," I said very disappointed. "No freebie lady."

Mother smiled. "That's okay. When we get home, we're going to bake our own cookies for Grandparents' Day, remember? Won't that be fun?" she asked.

I made my shoulders go up and down.

That's  'cause I was still mad at her for not taking me to my teacher's house, of course.

"What kind of cookie mix do you want?" asked Mother.

I did a frown at her. "I don't even want to bake cookies anymore" I said. "'Cause you still won't take me to where Mrs. lives."

Mother rumpled my hair. "Staying mad isn't going to change things, Junie B.," she said. "Now do you want to pick out the cookie mix? Or shall I?"

Then Mother picked out some cookie mix. And she gave it to me. And I throwed it in the cart very hard.

"Thank you," said Mother.

"You're not welcome," I said.

After that, Mother took me outside of the store. And me and her had a little talk.

A little talk is when Mother is mad at me. And she says who do I think I am, missy? And zactly how long so I think she's going to put up with me?

Then I have to say a 'pology to her.

A 'pology is the words I'm sorry.

Except for you don't actually have to mean it. 'Cause nobody can even tell the difference.

After the little talk, we went back into the store.

"Shall we try again?" asked Mother.

Then she gave me another box of cookie mix. And I put it in the cart very nice.

"That's better," she said. "Thank you."

You're not welcome, I said inside my head.

Then I smiled to myself. 'Cause Mother can't even hear me in there.

After that, me and her went around the corner. And I saw my most favorite thing in the whole world!

And its name is the water fountain!

"Hey! I need a drink!" I said very excited.

Then I runned right over there. And I hopped up on the little step.

"Need some help?" called Mother.
"No," I said. "'Cause I'm almost six years old, that's why. And so I already know how to work this big guy.

"And here's another thing I know," I said.

"No putting your mouth on the water spout. Or else germs will get inside you. And you will die."

I smiled very proud. "Paulie Allen Puffer told me that," I explained.

Then I bended my head over the fountain. And I drank for a very long time.

"Hurry up, Junie B.," said Mother. "I need to get the shopping done."

I wiped my mouth off with my arm.

"Yeah, only I can't hurry up. Or else I might a stomachache and spit up water. 'Cause a boy named William did that on the playground yesterday."

Mother looked at her watch. "Okay. Well, I'm going to be right here in the cereal aisle. As soon as you've finished drinking, come directly back to me."

"Okey-dokey," I said very happy.

Then I turned around and drinked and drinked and drinked.

Except for then I started feeling a little bit sickish. And so I had to sit down on the little step and rest my water.

That's when the big front doors of the grocery store opened.

And guess what?

My eyes almost popped out of my head, that's what!

'Cause I saw a big shock!

And its name was Mrs.!

My real live teacher named Mrs. was at the grocery store!

Educator Guide for Junie B. Jones #4: Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

From USA TODAY:
"Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set."

From Publisher' Weekly:
"Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun."

From Kirkus Reviews:
"Junie's swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world....A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud."

From Booklist:
"Park, one of the funniest writers around . . . brings her refreshing humor to the beginning chapter-book set."

From Time magazine:
"Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty."

From School Library Journal:
"Park is truly a funny writer. Although Junie B. is a kindergartner, she's sure to make middle graders laugh out loud."

About

“Hilarious. Barbara Park makes reading fun.” —Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man
 
Barbara Park’s #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for more than twenty-five years. Over 65 million copies sold!
 
Meet the World’s Funniest Kindergartner—Junie B. Jones! Junie B. is the bestest spier in the world. That’s ’cause she has sneaky feet. And her nose doesn’t whistle when she breathes. But guess what? Junie B. might be real sneaky. And real peeky. But when she spies on Mrs., she could get into real trouble!
 
USA Today:
“Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set.”
 
Publishers Weekly:
“Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun.”
 
Kirkus Reviews:
“Junie’s swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world. . . . A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud.”
 
Time:
“Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty.”

Author

© PamelaTidswell
Barbara Park was best-known as the creator and author of the New York Times bestselling Junie B. Jones series, the stories of an outrageously funny kindergartener that have kept kids (and their grownups) laughing—and reading—for over two decades. The series was consistently a #1 New York Times bestseller, spending over 180 weeks on the list, and Barbara and her books were profiled in such national outlets as Time, Newsweek, USA Today, the New York Times, and Today. Barbara Park arrived at the writing profession through an indirect route. Before becoming a bestselling and beloved children’s author, she originally intended to teach high school history and political science. She got her secondary education degree but quickly realized that her calling was to be a writer.  After several rejections, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers acquired her first manuscript, Operation: Dump the Chump and two others. Don’t Make Me Smile was published first in 1981, followed by Operation: Dump the Chump (1982) and Skinnybones (1982).    She went on to write over 50 books, from the picture book Ma! There’s Nothing to Do Here!, a love letter to her grandson, to middle grade novels such as Skinnybones, The Kid in the Red Jacket, Mick Harte Was Here, and The Graduation of Jake Moon. Barbara won more than 40 children’s book awards, including several Children’s Choice Awards.  Barbara Park was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, on April 21, 1947, and spent most of her adult life in Arizona. There she, with her husband, Richard, raised her two sons and spent time with her two young grandsons. Park died on November 15, 2013 after fighting ovarian cancer heroically for seven and a half years. View titles by Barbara Park
Denise Brunkus is a children’s book illustrator. She has illustrated more than 60 books, including the wildly popular Junie B. Jones series and Read All About It! by Laura and Jenna Bush. View titles by Denise Brunkus

Excerpt

Chapter 4: Cookie Mix and Other Stuff

The next day was Saturday.

Saturday is the day me and my mother go to the grocery store.

I have rules at that place.

Like no hollering the words I WANT ICE CREAM!

And no calling Mother the name of big meanie when she won't buy it.

And no eating a bag of marshmallows that doesn't belong to you.

Or else the store guy yanks it away from you. And he says, Eating is the same thing as stealing, young lady.

Then he takes you to Mother. And she has to pay for the whole entire bag. Except for I don't know why. 'Cause I only ate three of those softy guys and that's all.

The carts at the grocery store have seats in them. That's where babies sit. Only not me. 'Cause big girls get to walk all by theirselves.

And guess what else? One time Mother even let me push the whole big cart without any help.

Except for then some baked beanies got knocked off their shelf. And a grandma got her foot caught in my tire. And so now I have to wait till I'm bigger.

My favorite aisle is where the cookies are. That's 'cause sometimes there is a lady at a table there. And she gives me and Mother cookie samples. And we don't even have to pay for them.

Their name is freebies, I think.

Only too bad for me. 'Cause this time the lady wasn't there.

"Darn it," I said very disappointed. "No freebie lady."

Mother smiled. "That's okay. When we get home, we're going to bake our own cookies for Grandparents' Day, remember? Won't that be fun?" she asked.

I made my shoulders go up and down.

That's  'cause I was still mad at her for not taking me to my teacher's house, of course.

"What kind of cookie mix do you want?" asked Mother.

I did a frown at her. "I don't even want to bake cookies anymore" I said. "'Cause you still won't take me to where Mrs. lives."

Mother rumpled my hair. "Staying mad isn't going to change things, Junie B.," she said. "Now do you want to pick out the cookie mix? Or shall I?"

Then Mother picked out some cookie mix. And she gave it to me. And I throwed it in the cart very hard.

"Thank you," said Mother.

"You're not welcome," I said.

After that, Mother took me outside of the store. And me and her had a little talk.

A little talk is when Mother is mad at me. And she says who do I think I am, missy? And zactly how long so I think she's going to put up with me?

Then I have to say a 'pology to her.

A 'pology is the words I'm sorry.

Except for you don't actually have to mean it. 'Cause nobody can even tell the difference.

After the little talk, we went back into the store.

"Shall we try again?" asked Mother.

Then she gave me another box of cookie mix. And I put it in the cart very nice.

"That's better," she said. "Thank you."

You're not welcome, I said inside my head.

Then I smiled to myself. 'Cause Mother can't even hear me in there.

After that, me and her went around the corner. And I saw my most favorite thing in the whole world!

And its name is the water fountain!

"Hey! I need a drink!" I said very excited.

Then I runned right over there. And I hopped up on the little step.

"Need some help?" called Mother.
"No," I said. "'Cause I'm almost six years old, that's why. And so I already know how to work this big guy.

"And here's another thing I know," I said.

"No putting your mouth on the water spout. Or else germs will get inside you. And you will die."

I smiled very proud. "Paulie Allen Puffer told me that," I explained.

Then I bended my head over the fountain. And I drank for a very long time.

"Hurry up, Junie B.," said Mother. "I need to get the shopping done."

I wiped my mouth off with my arm.

"Yeah, only I can't hurry up. Or else I might a stomachache and spit up water. 'Cause a boy named William did that on the playground yesterday."

Mother looked at her watch. "Okay. Well, I'm going to be right here in the cereal aisle. As soon as you've finished drinking, come directly back to me."

"Okey-dokey," I said very happy.

Then I turned around and drinked and drinked and drinked.

Except for then I started feeling a little bit sickish. And so I had to sit down on the little step and rest my water.

That's when the big front doors of the grocery store opened.

And guess what?

My eyes almost popped out of my head, that's what!

'Cause I saw a big shock!

And its name was Mrs.!

My real live teacher named Mrs. was at the grocery store!

Guides

Educator Guide for Junie B. Jones #4: Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Praise

From USA TODAY:
"Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set."

From Publisher' Weekly:
"Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun."

From Kirkus Reviews:
"Junie's swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world....A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud."

From Booklist:
"Park, one of the funniest writers around . . . brings her refreshing humor to the beginning chapter-book set."

From Time magazine:
"Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty."

From School Library Journal:
"Park is truly a funny writer. Although Junie B. is a kindergartner, she's sure to make middle graders laugh out loud."

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