Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought the `Junie B Jones' set through The Scholastic Books Program with such high hopes. Settling down for book time before bed, my seven year old boy started to read to me "Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth." The title of the book should have warned me. On the very first page I was incredulous to hear about a kindergarten discussing head butting. 'Maybe just on page one' I thought. Then on page two, Junie B. is talking back to the teacher and using language even my child was shocked to find in a children's book. I took over reading the chapter - editing out the bad language and grammar unfit even for three year olds. The rest of the chapter continued with inappropriate language - "bashing in brains", "heck" and "dumb" and the five year character talking back to the teacher who she refuses to referred to by any name other than "Mrs." I find these books offensive and degrading to parents who are going to the effort and expense to buy the set in hopes of reading with their child a set of books full of funny stories about a little girl with a vivid imagination and some misconceptions of how to behave. The Junie B. books are just about an insecure little girl with a horrible, aggressive attitude. I was absolutely amazed to read in the author's bio that she has children. The book seems more like a detached childless person's attempt to imagine what a child's viewpoint of life might be like - without first spending anytime around young children herself. The editor and publishers must also never spend time with young children. The story's character sets a bad example with her freakishly aggressive behavior. The stories not at all funny or entertaining - just disturbing exchanges weirdly twisted together with very grownup concepts and ideas. Reading Junie B. books is the best way to spoil what should be a cozy evening of reading with a child. Tomorrow night we will go back to reading stories like 'Henry Huggins', 'King of the Wind', 'Mouse and the Motorcycle' and 'Jack Black and The Ship of Thieves.' - Stories with adventure, humor, something to learn, humanity and no bad language. The other books in the Junie B Jones box set? Unread and into the trash. Sigh...