Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder (Junie B. Jones Series #20) FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review
Holy molar! Everybody's favorite first-grader is back again, and this time, she has a big gap to contend with -- a hole where her tooth used to be.
At first, Junie B. Jones is thrilled to have a loose tooth -- it means she's turning into a "big kid," and she'll be the first one in Room One to lose one of her top baby teeth. But when Herb tells her about his "toothless Uncle Lou," an alarmed Junie B. soon tries to get her tooth to stop wiggling -- until Grandpa Miller accidentally helps it pop out. Complete with a new smile that she begins to appreciate, Junie B. then confesses to her parents that she knows the real story behind the Tooth Fairy -- she's really a brush-riding Tooth Witch that eats "tooth apples" -- and she won't leave her tooth under her pillow. Mom and Dad try to discourage this theory, but Junie gets her class involved, and they all begin wondering about the Tooth Fairy's real motives for collecting teeth. Yet just when Junie thinks she has it all figured out and leaves her tooth out for the night, an unexpected surprise winds up answering her Tooth Fairy questions and making her extra-excited.
It's about time Junie B. lost a tooth, and fans will love it! Addressing all the questions that plague kids about losing that first tooth, Junie B. handles her situation with humor and smart thinking that will have readers nodding in agreement. A high-spirited installment sure to satisfy hankerings for this feisty first-grader, Toothless Wonder will have fans cheering and chomping at the bit for more. Matt Warner
ANNOTATION
Junie B. Jones learns some interesting things about the Tooth Fairy when she becomes the first student in Room One to lose an upper tooth.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Yikes ... it's a loose tooth! One of Junie B. Jones's top front teeth is loose! Only Junie B. is not that thrilled about this development. Because what if she looks like toothless Uncle Lou? And even worse ... what's all this tooth fairy business? Like, who is this woman, really? And what does she do with all those used teeth? So many questions, so little time.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
The inimitable Miss Jones stars in Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder by Barbara Park, illus. by Denise Brunkus. Junie is the first in her class to have a loose upper tooth. But she wants nothing to do with the Tooth Fairy and fears she'll end up looking like her dentally challenged uncle.
School Library Journal
Gr 1-4-In this 20th book about Junie B., Parks hits on the universal theme of losing one's first tooth. As the first person in her class to have this experience, Junie B. worries that she'll look funny, but her teacher assures her that it is a momentous event in her life, and that she'll look more grown up when the new one comes in. This, of course, delights the child. However, she is convinced that the tooth fairy is really a witch. After all, what would a tooth fairy do with all of those teeth? This is an ideal read-aloud to first graders and a choice that they will enjoy reading independently as they move into chapter books. Humorous black-and-white drawings show Junie B. as she interacts with her classmates and family.-Jean Lowery, Bishop Woods Elementary School, New Haven, CT Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
"Good news, people!" Junie B. has lost her first tooth and she is the first person in Room One to reach this milestone. Is Junie B. excited? Well, yes and no. First, she is excited about sharing the news, and the bloodstained spit cup, with her classmates. But, she is concerned that she will end up like Sheldon's toothless Uncle Lou. Then, she imagines that she will look so different that no one at school will recognize her. And there is the little matter of the Tooth Fairy. See, Junie B. knows "stuff about the fairy, that's why." The "truth" is perfectly clear to her and seems so logical coming out of her mouth: the Tooth Fairy is really a Tooth Witch who collects teeth to EAT. Her mother challenges Junie B.'s emphatic explanation of the tiny cheek-pinching Tooth Witch flying on her toothbrush. But Junie B. has no patience for her mother's dense thinking. "I rolled my eyes way up to the ceiling. 'Cause sometimes I have to explain everything to that woman." Sassy and perceptive Junie B. is growing up, and Park's first-person narrative improves as her character ages. Junie B. has been listening to adults and loves to add grown-up words and colloquialisms to her speech. The reader is treated to words like "fascinating, reaction, pleasure, occasional, festivities and 'that's another can of worms." Junie B.'s swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world and her exasperation with the well-meaning adults in her life. A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud for the first-grade classroom. (Fiction. 7-10)
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