by Barbara Park
Laugh out loud with Junie B. Jones!
#1 Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus
#2 Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
#3 Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth
#4 Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying
#5 Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake
#6 Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday
#7 Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren
#8 Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed
#9 Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook
#10 Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal
#11 Junie B. Jones Is a Beauty Shop Guy
#12 Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy
#13 Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl
#14 Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime
#15 Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket
#16 Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day
#17 Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl
#18 Junie B., First Grader (at last!)
#19 Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch
#20 Junie B., First Grader: Toothless Wonder
#21 Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants
#22 Junie B., First Grader: One-Man Band
#23 Junie B., First Grader: Shipwrecked
#24 Junie B., First Grader: BOO … and I MEAN It!
#25 Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (PS. So Does May.)
#26 Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!
#27 Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny
Top-Secret Personal Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B. (and me!)
Check out Barbara Park's other great books, listed at the end of this book!
To Zachary Cheek … a great reader!
1. Prizes
2. Uncle Lou
3. Ow!
4. Freako
5. The Fairy
6. Full of Soup
7. A Stumper
8. Smiling
9. Miracles!
I put down my pencil. And I opened my mouth. Then I reached in my finger and I wiggled my tooth.
That thing has been loose for a very long time. Only no matter how hard I wiggle it, it still won't come out.
I pulled on it a teensy bit.
“Ow, that hurt! You dumb bunny tooth!” I said.
May turned her head and looked at me.
May sits next to me in Room One.
She is not a pleasure.
“You shouldn't say dumb bunny, Junie Jones,” she said. “Dumb bunny is not a nice word.”
I raised my eyebrows at her.
“Oh, really?” I said. “Well, thank you for telling me that, dumb bunny May.”
Just then, May's face got puffy and red.
“DON'T SAY THAT WORD, I TOLD YOU!” she hollered.
My teacher stood up at his desk.
“Problem back there, girls?” he said.
“Yes, Mr. Scary!” said May. “There's always a problem back here. And her name is Junie Jones!”
I stamped my foot.
“B., May!” I said. “B., B., B., B., B.! You're always forgetting my B.!”
Mr. Scary closed his eyes. “Please, girls. Can't we just have one morning without any spats?”
I looked surprised at that man.
“But I didn't even spat, Mr. Scary,” I said. “My mother doesn't let me spat. Not even on the sidewalk.”
After that, I went up to his desk. And I smiled very cute.
“I have a loose tooth,” I said. “Would you like to see it, Mr. Scary? Huh? Would you?”
I opened my mouth and wiggled it for him.
“See it? See how loose it is? It is a loosey goosey, isn't it?” I said.
He smiled. “Wow. It really is loose, Junie B.,” he said. “And it's a top tooth, too. Losing a top tooth is the best.”
I looked puzzled.
“It is? How come it's the best, Mr. Scary?” I asked. “Is a top tooth funner than a bottom tooth, do you mean? Because last year I lost a bottom tooth. And I didn't actually get a kick out of it.”
My teacher did a chuckle. “Ah … but when you lose a top tooth, your smile looks really cute, Junie B.,” he said. “And when your new tooth comes in, you'll start looking like a big kid.”
I did a gasp at that news.
“A big kid?” I said. “Really? I'm going to look like a big kid?”
Mr. Scary nodded. “Sure you are,” he said. “Here. I'll show you what I mean.”
He looked around the room. “Class? Does anyone in here have their big top teeth yet? If so, please raise your hand,” he said.
All of the children looked and looked at each other.
But no one raised their hand.
Mr. Scary was surprised.
“Really?” he said. “No kidding? No one in our class has lost a top front tooth, huh?”
He turned around and shook my hand.
“Well, congratulations, Junie B. Jones,” he said. “It looks like you're going to be the first person in Room One with a big top tooth!”
I felt very thrilled. “Thank you!” I said.
Then I skipped back to my seat. And I sat down real proud.
May did a huffy breath at me.
“Big deal. What's so special about losing a top tooth?” she said. “Everyone in our whole room is going to lose their top teeth, Junie Jones. It's not like you're the only one, you know.”
I did a huffy breath right back at her.
“Yes, May. I know I'm not the only one,” I said. “But I am the first one. And the first one is the winner. So there. Ha ha on you.”
May crossed her arms. “Well, if you're the winner, then where's your prize? Huh, Junie Jones? I don't see a prize. Do you?”
I tapped my fingers kind of stumped. Then I hurried back to my teacher's desk again. And I patted him on the shoulder.
“Okay, here's the thing,” I said. “The children are wondering where's my prize for being the tooth winner. And so how would you like to handle this situation?”
Mr. Scary did not answer right away.
Finally, he shrugged. “Well, the truth is, there aren't any prizes,” he said. “I wasn't exactly running a contest, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” I said. “But I bet you could still come up with a little something to make me happy.”
I pointed at his desk drawer.
“I bet there's something in there, probably,” I said. “Teachers always have good stuff in their desk drawers, right? And so why don't we take a little look-see?”
Mr. Scary ran his fingers through his hair.
Then at last, he opened his drawer.
“Whoa! Is that a stapler I see there?” I said. “A stapler would be good, don't you think? I could really pound that thing, I bet. And so if you'll just hand it over, I will be on my way.”
Mr. Scary shook his head. “No, Junie B.,” he said. “No stapler.”
I looked some more.
“Hey! Hold the phone!” I said. “Is that Tums I'm looking at?”
I leaned closer.
“Yes! Yes! It is Tums, Mr. Scary! You've got Tums just like my grampa Miller! And so I bet you suffer from gas and bloating. Am I correct?”
Mr. Scary quick closed the drawer.
Then he went to the supply closet and he got out a piece of shiny silver paper. And he scribbled a star.
He cut it out and pinned it on my shirt.
“There,” he said. “That's your prize for your tooth, okay? You get to wear a shiny star for being the winner. Now please go back to your seat.”
I looked down at my star.
“Yeah, only I don't actually think this is y
our best work,” I said kind of quiet.
Mr. Scary pointed to my desk. He was not having a good morning, I think.
I went back and sat down.
May sneaked a peek at my star.
I tried to act proud of it.
“Well, well, well. What do you know … a prize,” I said.
May did a mad breath and quick turned away.
I looked down at my star again.
This time it looked prettier, I think.
The speaker came at ten o'clock.
Her name was Miss Chris.
Miss Chris told us all about recycling.
Also, she showed us a movie.
It was called Dan, Dan the Soda Can.
It was very thrilling, I tell you. ’Cause Dan, Dan the Soda Can lived in a soda machine at a gas station. Then one day, a lady bought him to drink. Only too bad for Dan, Dan. ’Cause after the lady drank his soda, she threw him right out her car window. And Dan, Dan got his can all dented.
But hurray, hurray! A cop saw the lady littering. And he gave her a big fat ticket!
Then a can man took Dan, Dan to a recycling center. And the man got cash money. Plus Dan, Dan got fixed up good as new. And bingo! He turned into Dan, Dan the Orange Juice Can!
It was a miracle, I tell you!
Room One clapped and clapped at that happy ending.
Then Miss Chris passed around stickers of Dan, Dan the Soda Can for us to stick to our shirts. And the stickers said RECYCLING MAKES CENTS. Ha! Get it? Cents sounds like sense! And that is a good one, I think!
After that, all of us went to lunch and recess. And we were still in happy moods.
On the playground, José and Lennie and Shirley asked to see my loose tooth. Then pretty soon, the other children wanted to see it, too.
And so finally, I stood them all in a row. And I let them look real close.
After they looked, I walked down the row. And I showed them how far I could bend it.
Herb clapped and clapped.
José and Lennie whistled.
Sheldon tried to pick me up.
That is not a normal reaction, I think.
“You're going to look cool when it finally comes out, Junie B.,” said Herb.
“Sí,” said José. “You're going to look really cool. Like a hockey player, I bet.”
“Yeah,” said Lennie. “Hockey players almost never have any teeth.”
“Neither do kick-boxers,” said Shirley. “Maybe you'll look like a kick-boxer, Junie B.”
Just then, Sheldon did a sigh. “I just hope you don't look like my toothless uncle Lou,” he said. “My toothless uncle Lou never brushed or flossed. And then all his teeth fell out.”
I made a sick face.
Sheldon shrugged. “Well, it's not like he's totally toothless,” he said. “He still has one bottom tooth left. It's kind of yellow. But it still can bite an apple.”
After that, Sheldon walked away.
I watched him go.
Then I sat down in the grass. And I tried and tried not to think of toothless Uncle Lou.
After school, me and Herb rode the bus home together.
We sit with each other every single day. Except not on Saturdays or Sundays or weekends.
Me and Herb talk about lots of stuff on the bus. Only today I didn't feel like talking, hardly. ’Cause I was still upset about looking like Uncle you-know-who.
I slumped down in my seat very glum.
“What if I look like a weirdo?” I said. “Huh, Herb? What if I look like toothless Uncle Lou?”
Herbert patted me. “Don't worry. You won't… probably.”
I kept on worrying.
“Yeah, only today is Friday, Herb,” I said. “And so by Monday my tooth will already be out, I bet. And so what if I come to school looking like toothless Uncle Lou? And then all of Room One starts making fun of me? And they form a circle around me, and they laugh and skip and throw fruit?”
Then, all of a sudden, I did a gasp. ’Cause an even worser problem popped in my head.
I grabbed Herb's shirt.
“Oh, no, Herb! Oh, no!” I said. “What if I don't even look like myself on Monday! Not even a tiny bit, I mean! And then I get on this bus. And you don't even recognize me. And so you pass right by my seat. And then I have to sit by myself. All alone … and toothless.”
Herb looked down at his shirt.
He said to please take my hands off of him.
He smoothed himself out.
“Maybe you should look on the bright side, Junie B.,” he said. “Even if all of that bad stuff happens—which it won't, probably—you'll still end up with a bunch of money from the tooth fairy. Right? And that's good, isn't it?”
As soon as he said that, chill bumps came on my skin. And my stomach got flutterflies in it.
I quick looked out the window so Herb couldn't see my face.
’Cause guess what?
The tooth fairy is a whole other can of worms.
I walked home from my bus stop very slow.
Walking is good for thinking, I think.
Talking is good for thinking, too.
“I just wish I wasn't the first one, that's all,” I said out loud to myself. “I wish the other children in Room One were losing their teeth, too. Then all of us would look toothless together. And no one would throw fruit.”
I did a big breath at me.
“Yeah, only that is the dumbest thing I ever heard of,” I said. “’Cause you can't make other children have loose teeth, Junie B.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, only I already know that, Junie B.,” I said. “But I really don't want to be first. And so why can't my tooth just stay in my mouth a little longer? That's what I would like to know.”
I crossed my arms at myself.
“’Cause you keep wiggling it, that's why,” I said. “Maybe if you didn't wiggle it, it would get tight again. Did you ever think of that? Huh? Did you?”
I walked and walked some more.
Then, all of a sudden, I did a gasp.
’Cause I did think of that! Ha!
I ran to my house speedy quick.
My grampa Frank Miller was babysitting my fussy brother named Ollie.
“Grampa Miller! I know what to do about my tooth! I know what to do about my tooth!” I hollered real happy.
Grampa Miller was bouncing Ollie on his lap.
Ollie was wearing his drool bib. Also, he was slobbering and chewing on his arm.
Ollie will not be popular in school, probably.
Mother says he is drooly and fussy because he will be getting teeth soon.
She is kidding herself, I think.
Just then, Ollie started to cry.
Grampa Miller looked weary of that boy.
I took Ollie away from him.
“Don't worry, Grampa. I know how to calm this baby down,” I said.
After that, I patted Ollie's back very nice.
Then I hummed real soft in his ear.
And I put him in the hall closet.
Grampa quick got him out of there.
He put Ollie in his playpen. And he gave him animal crackers.
Animal crackers are crackers that make babies stop crying.
Also, I enjoy an occasional cracker myself.
After Ollie stopped fussing, Grampa Miller came back in the kitchen. And he put me on his lap.
“Okay, little girl. I'm ready to listen to your news now,” he said. “What were you saying about your tooth? Did it get any looser at school today?”
I clapped my hands together.
“That's what I was going to tell you about, Grampa!” I said. “’Cause at school I found out that I am the first person in Room One to lose a top front tooth. And so at first I felt proud about that news. Only then I got nervous. On account of who wants to look like toothless Uncle Lou, that's why. And so then I had a long talk with myself. And hurray, hurray! I decided not to lose my tooth after all!”
My grampa rais
ed his eyebrows at me.
“Really?” he said. “You're not going to lose your tooth, huh? Do you really think you can do that, honey?”
“Yes!” I said. “I know I can do it, Grampa. ’Cause all I have to do is not wiggle it anymore. And then it will get real tight in my mouth again! I am sure of it! I'm positive.”
I reached in my mouth and touched my tooth very light with my finger.
“Yup!” I said. “I can feel it! It's tighter already!”
I opened my mouth and pointed. “See it, Grampa? See how tight it's getting?”
Grampa Miller squinted his eyes. “Gee, honey, I don't know,” he said. “It still looks pretty loose to me.”
Then—without even asking—he reached in my mouth. And he started to wiggle it.
“No!” I yelled. “No! No! No!”
I snapped my mouth shut.
“OW!” said my grampa.
He quick pulled out his finger.
“OW!” I said right back.
’Cause I felt a pinch, that's why!
I poked all around with my tongue.
Something did not feel right in there.
My heart started to pound very fast.
I held my breath.
Then I opened my mouth kind of sickish.
And I spit my tooth right into my hand.
I ran and ran all over the house.
“OH, NO!” I shouted. “OH, NO! OH, NO! MY GRAMPA FRANK MILLER KNOCKED MY TOOTH OUT! MY GRAMPA FRANK MILLER KNOCKED MY TOOTH OUT!”
Grampa ran after me.
“No, I didn't. Of course I didn't, Junie B.,” he said. “Your tooth came out when you bit down on my finger.”
I kept running and shouting.
“I LOOK LIKE UNCLE LOU! I LOOK LIKE UNCLE LOU! HELP! HELP! HELP! I LOOK LIKE UNCLE LOU!”
I zoomed to the front door and opened it wide.
“911! 911! MY TOOTH'S KNOCKED OUT! MY TOOTH'S KNOCKED OUT!”
Grampa quick picked me up and carried me back inside.
Then he took me to the bathroom. And he gave me a paper cup with water.
“Rinse and spit,” he said.
I did what he said.
Only that's when the worstest thing of all happened.
’Cause my spit water turned pink!
I did a gasp at that sight.
“BLOOD! BLOOD! THERE'S BLOOD IN MY SPIT!” I hollered some more.
Grampa Miller covered his ears. “Please, Junie B. Just stop the screeching.”
