In this narrated excerpt from Chapter 3 of Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth, Junie B. rides the school bus after school with her best friend Grace. The children discuss Job Day, each proclaiming the future career they want to pursue: Grace wants to be Mickey Mouse, Rose a famous singer, Lynn a baton dweller, Charlie a painter, Roger a prison guard, William a superhero, and Jim a copycat. Junie feels anxious and depressed about not knowing what she wants to be, but becomes momentarily hopeful when she recalls Grandma Miller’s praise of her painting. She imagines a hybrid job that combines painting, unlocking doors, and saving people, leading to a heated exchange with Jim, who insists there can be only one job. The bus falls quiet as Junie struggles to name her imagined profession, highlighting her inner conflict, imagination, and the social dynamics of peer influence.
Chapters
Chapter 3. After school was over, me and my bestest friend Grace walked to the bus together, except for that Grace kept on wanting to skip and I didn't.
How come you don't want to skip?
she said.
Me and you always skip to the bus.
I know, Grace, I said, but today I've got a very big problem inside my head and It's called, I still don't know what job I want to be when I grow up. I do, said that Grace.
I'm gonna be Mickey Mouse at Disneyland.
I did a big sigh at her. Yeah, only too bad for you, Grace, I said, 'cause there's only one real-life Mickey Mouse and you're not him. That Grace laughed very loud.
Mickey isn't real, silly. He's just a mouse suit with a guy inside, she said.
And so just then I felt very sickish inside of my stomach because I didn't know Mickey was a suit. That's why. What did you have to tell me that for, Grace? I said, real upset. Now I feel very depressed. Then I hurried up on the bus and I scooted way over by the window. Except I couldn't get any peace and quiet because everybody kept talking about dumb old Job Day. I'm gonna be a famous singer, said a girl named Rose. I'm gonna be a famous baton dweller, said another girl named Lynn. Then a girl named Charlie said she was going to be a famous painter. Famous painters are called artists, she explained, and artists are very rich. After that, I felt a little bit cheerier, 'cause guess what? Grandma Miller says I paint beautifully, that's what! Hey, maybe I'll be a famous painter too! I said.
I'm gonna be a prison guard, said a boy named Roger. My Uncle Roy is a prison guard. And he gets to carry the keys for the whole entire prison.
Then my mouth did a smile, 'cause one time my dad gave me the key to the front door and I unlocked it all by myself and I didn't even need any help. Hey, maybe I could carry keys too, Roger, I said, 'cause I know how to use those things very good. Just then William raised his hand very bashfully.
I'm gonna be a superhero and save I'm gonna save people from danger! He said.
And so then I jumped right out of my seat, 'cause that's the bestest idea of all! Me too, William! I hollered, 'cause that sounds very exciting, I think. And so I'm gonna save people from danger too! Then that mean Jim jumped up at me.
Copycat! Copycat! You guys copying everybody else! And anyway, you can't be 3 jobs, you can only be one!
I made a growly face at him. I am just one job! I said very angry. It's a special kind of job where you paint and you unlock stuff and you save people. So there, ha ha, on you! That Jim made a cuckoo sign at me.
Goody!
He said to it. Goody B. Jones, there's no such job like that in the whole entire universe!
Yes, there is! There is too, you big fat Jim! I yelled. And it's the bestest job in the whole wide world! He crossed his arms and did a mean smile.
Okay, then what is— what's the name of it?
He said, and the bus got very quiet. And everybody kept on waiting and waiting for me to say the name of my job, except for I just couldn't think of anything. So my face got very reddish and hotish, and I felt like pee-yew again.
See, told ya, said that mean Jim. There is no such job. Told ya, told ya, told ya.
After that, I sat down very quiet Instead out the window. 'Cause the sickish feeling was back inside my stomach again, that's why. Me and my big fat mouth.
