The narrated reading follows Junie B. Jones through two chapters of Barbara Park's book. In Chapter 3, Junie B stays overnight at Grandpa Miller's while her mother is in the hospital for a baby. She enjoys a lemon pie dinner, a piggy‑back ride, wearing Grandma Miller’s hat and high‑heels, and sleeping in the guest room, where she imagines monsters. The next morning, Grandpa makes waffles, and Grandma Miller announces the birth of Junie B’s new baby brother, describing his hair, size, and "monkey‑like" cuteness, which excites and confuses Junie B. In Chapter 4, Junie B returns to kindergarten (Room 9) with her two best friends, Lucille and Grace. A conflict erupts when Grace is angry at Junie B for missing the bus, leading to a scuffle that the teacher, Mrs. Letchford, breaks up. After a printing activity, the class prepares for show‑and‑tell. William presents a jar of two dead crickets, causing chaos, while Junie B eagerly anticipates her own, more impressive show‑and‑tell. The reading captures Junie B’s vivid imagination, emotional highs and lows, and the everyday drama of family and school life.
Chapters
Chapter 3, A Very Wonderful Thing. Yesterday, a very wonderful thing happened, and it's called, I had a pie for dinner! Just pie, and that's all. That's because my mother went to the hospital to have the baby, and Daddy and Grandma Miller went with her, and so me and my grandpa got to stay at his house all by ourselves, and no one even babysitted us. And guess what? Grandpa smoked a real live cigar inside the house, and Grandma didn't yell, go outside with that thing, Frank! After that, my grandpa gave me a piggyback ride, and he let me put on Grandma Miller's new hat with the long brown feather, and also I got to walk in her red high heels. Only thing, I fell down in the kitchen, and so I took them off quickly. Hey, I could crack my head open in these dumb things! I said very loud. After that, I opened up the fridgewator, 'cause I was hungry from playing, that's why. Hey, guess what? There's a big fat lemon pie in here, Frank! I hollered. And so then Grandpa Miller got down 2 plates And then me and him ate the big fat lemon pie for our dinner. Just pie, that's all. And we're not even going to get in trouble because we're gonna tell Grandma that her cat ate it. And here's another very funny thing. I got to sleep in Grandpa Miller's guest room. First I put on my PJs with the feet in them, and then my grandpa watched me brush my new front tooth. And he tucked me into the big guest bed. Sweet dreams, Junie B, he said. Except for then I got a little bit of scared in me. Yeah, only guess what, Grandpa? I said. It's very dark in this big room, and so there might be hidey things in here. Grandpa looked All around the room and also in the closet. Nope, no hidey things in here, he said. After that, he left on the hall light for me so my imagination wouldn't run wild. Except I still didn't sleep that good, 'cause there was a drooly guy with claws under my bed, I think. And so this morning, my eyes felt very sagging. Only then I sniffed something that woke them right up, and its name was delicious waffles! Grandpa Miller cooked them for me, and he let me pour on my own syrup, and he didn't yell, whoa, whoa, whoa! After that, me and him played until it was time for kindergarten. Except before I left, the funniest thing of all happened. My Grandma Mila came home, and she said that Mother had a baby, and it was the boy kind! Then me and her and my Grandpa all did a big giant hug. Grandma Mila picked me up and she swung me in the air. You're gonna love him, Junie B, she said. Your new brother is the cutest little monkey I've ever seen. Then my eyes got very wide. Is he really? I said. Grandma Miller put me down. Then she started talking to my grandpa. Wait until you see him, Frank, she said. He's got the longest little fingers and toes. I tugged on her dress. How long, Grandma? I said. Longer than mine? But Grandma just kept on talking. And his hair, Frank! My word, she— he's got oodles and oodles of thick black hair! I pulled on Grandma's arm. How come, Grandma? How come he's got hair? I asked. I thought little babies were supposed to be baldies! But still, my grandma didn't answer me. And he's big too, Frank! He's much bigger than any other babies in the hospital! And you should feel how tightly he grabs onto your finger when you— Just then, I stamped my foot very hard. Hey! I want some answers down here, Helen! He's my baby too, you know! Grandma Miller frowned at me. 'Cause I'm not supposed to call her Helen, I think, are we? I say kind of quiet. Then Grandma Mila bent down next to me so I didn't have to yell anymore. Are you telling me the truth, Grandma? I said. Is my brother really the cutest little monkey you've ever seen? For really and honest and truly? Then my Grandma Mila hugged me very tight. Yes, little girl, she whispered in my ear. For really and honest and truly. And then she picked me up again, and me and her twirled all around the kitchen. Chapter 4, Hoppy and Russell. My room in kindergarten is named Room 9. I have 2 bestest friends in the place. One of them has the name Lucille. Lucille sits right exactly next to me. She has a red chair and also little red fingernails which are very glossy. My other bestie friend is named Grace. Me and that Grace sit together on the school bus, except for not today we didn't, because today Grandpa Miller drove me. Then he walked to Room 9 with me and he waved at my teacher. Her name is called Miss. She has another name too? I just like Mrs. and that's all. When I walked into my room, Lucille was looking at that Grace's brand new shoes. And their name was Pink High Tops. Hey, Grace! Those new shoes look very beautiful on you, I said. But that dumb Grace didn't even say thank you to me. Grace is very angry at you, said Lucille. She said that she rode the bus today and you weren't even there to save her a seat, and she had to sit next to that icky kid, Right, Grace? Grace bobbed her head up and down. Yes, only I couldn't help it, Grace, I said. That's because I stayed at my Grandpa Miller's all night, and there's no bus at that place, and so he had to drive me here today. Then I tried to hold Grace's hand, only she quickly pulled it away. That's not very nice of you, Grace, I said. And so guess what? Now I'm not going to tell you my special secret. That's when that Grace called me a poopy head. Lucille held my hand. I don't think you're a poopy head, Junie B. She said, and so you can tell me your special secret and I won't tell anybody, not even Grace. That's when that Grace kicked Lucille in the leg, and so Lucille pushed her down and Mrs. had to come pull them off each other. I raised my hand very polite, and so Lucille pushed her down, and Mrs. had to come pull them off each other. I raised my hand very polite. I wasn't involved, I said to Mrs. After that, we had to sit down and do some work. It was called printing our numbers, only I couldn't do mine that good because Lucille kept on talking to me. That's why. Come on, Jeanie B, she said to me in her whispery voice. Tell me your special secret. I won't tell, I promise. Yes, only I can't, Lucille, I said. 'Cause no talking to your neighbor, remember? Then Mrs. snapped her fingers at me. See, Lucille, I told you no talking to your neighbor! I hollered. Now I got snapped at! Just then a boy named Jim said, shh! Shh! To me? Shh yourself, you big fat gym! I said back. After that, Mrs. stood next to me till I finished my work. Then I got all done and she collected it. And that made me happy inside because guess what comes after work? Something very fun, that's what! And its name is show and tell. Mrs. stood next to her desk Who has, who has something interesting to share with the class today? She said. Then my heart got very pumpy because I had the most special secret in the whole wide world. I raised my hand way high in the air. Ooh, ooh! I hollered real loud. Me, me, me! Mrs. shook her head at me because I'm not supposed to go ooh, ooh, me, me, me. She called on William. He is a crybaby boy in my class. I can beat him up, I think. William, said Mrs. Letchford, since you raised your hand so politely, you may go first. And so then William carried a paper bag to the front of the room, and he took out a jar of 2 dead crickets. Except for William didn't know they were dead. He just thought they were sleeping. Jump, Puppy! Jump, Russell! said William. Then he tapped on the glass. Hey, wake up in there! He said. After that, William started shaking the jar all over the place, and he wouldn't stop. Hey, wake up, I said! He shouted. Then Hoppy and Russell started falling all apart, and Mrs. had to take the jar away. That's when William started to cry, and he had to go to the nurse's office to lie down. And so then I raised my hand way high in the air again. Because guess what? My show-and-tell is way better than 2 dead crickets!
