09 January 2017

A Review of Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones First Ever MUSICAL Edition (audio book)



I remember seeing friends and classmates reading books in the Junie B. Jones series in elementary school, and I meant to read them, but for whatever reason, I never got around to it. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but my sister told me that it was a really good portrayal of life through the eyes of a little girl, and she was right. The Junie B. Jones First Ever MUSICAL Edition is a reading of Junie B. Jones First Grader (at Last) and a studio recording of the songs from the musical, and it proved to be a really good introduction into the world of Junie B. Jones.

We decided to listen to the audio book during a long car trip we took over the weekend and that turned out to be a really good idea, since we got stuck in traffic immediately after we left. The reader, Lana Quintal, was lively and engaging, and she got the voice dead on. I think these stories must be meant to be read aloud, because that was the perfect medium. This was a good fit for a younger audience, too. My six-year-old was disappointed that it wasn't a print book, because she had wanted to be able to look at the pictures (Do the books have pictures? That would be fun.), but she really enjoyed listening to it.

We joined Junie B. on her first day of first grade, and got to hear what she thought about best friends, school bus seatmates, and trying something new, and maybe a little bit scary. The story was fun and captured a child's viewpoint  admirably. My husband and I kept exchanging glances throughout the story, like we were sharing memories of life in grade school, and remembering "that girl" or "that guy" from our own classes. I don't see parents who are reading or listening to this book with their children being bored by it at all. It's easy to relate to, and I think a lot of us might still have a little bit of Junie B. still inside of us as we encounter the world. I half-wished the story were more grammatically correct, but it would have lost some of its voice and charm. The story was pretty short, but it was the perfect length for those just learning to listen to or read chapter books.

Over the summer our family went to see Pinkalicious the Musical, and we loved it, which is one reason I was interested in hearing the music from the Junie B. Jones musical. Overall, my reaction was favorable, but I think my enjoyment would have been far greater if I had any familiarity with other books in the Junie B. Jones series, as the musical was based on several of them. It also would have been nice to be able to see the musical before hearing it, because there were moments in some of the songs that clearly would have been more fun as a stage performance. If I have a criticism of the music, it is an occasional tendency on the part of the music to start sounding all the same.

This is a highly enjoyable book, and it made me interested in other books in the series. My kids, who slept through part of it as a result of moving 2 mph in a warm car, asked to listen to it again on the drive home, and laughed together later about parts the thought were funny. If you have young school-aged children, and are looking for a book or audio book to enjoy together, this is a great option.

Want to learn more about the late Barbara Park? http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/23194/barbara-park/

Want to learn more about the audio book? http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/532844/junie-b-jones-first-ever-musical-edition-by-barbara-park-with-songs-by-marcy-heisler-lyrics-and-zina-goldrich-music/

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review. This is my honest opinion about the book.



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