In this narrated reading of Chapter 10 from the Junie B. Jones series, Junie recounts a chaotic school episode. After a bathroom mishap is averted, a man with a can (likely a custodian) helps her, but the situation escalates when firemen, a policeman, and a lady with a rolling bed rush in. The principal interrogates Junie about hiding in supply closets, warning her about rule‑breaking. Junie's mother arrives, worries about Junie's injuries, and scolds her for causing a commotion and refusing to ride the school bus, which Junie dreads because of “meanies.” Mother suggests a new friend, Grace, who will also be riding the bus for the first time. They arrange for the two girls to sit together, giving Junie hope for a less scary bus experience. The chapter ends with Junie looking forward to the next day, imagining a friendship with Grace and a newfound appreciation for the color yellow.
Chapters
Storytime with Isaac Letchford. Chapter 10: Me and That Grace. The man with the can unlocked the girls' bathroom for me, and I ran right in there. And guess what? I made it! That's right, I didn't have an accident on my skirt that looks like velvet. Phew, that was a close one, I said. Then I washed my hands at the sink, and I looked in the mirror, and the gold star was still on my forehead. It looked very beautiful up there. After that, I went to the hole and the man with the can bended down to me. Everything okay, sis? he said. And so I nodded my head. I holded it, I said very happy. Then all of a sudden there were lots of people running at us. There were firemen and a policeman and there was a tall lady rolling a bed on wheels. Hey! I said to the man with the can. What happened? Did somebody get run over in some— in here or something? Then I saw Mrs. and the principal and Mother, and they were running at us too. And then Mother bended down and hugged me very tight. After that, everyone started talking at once, and nobody was using their quiet voices, and nobody was smiling either. Principal started asking me a jillion questions. Mostly they were questions about hiding in the supply closets. I'm a good hider, I told him. Principal acted a little bit grumpy. He said I wasn't allowed to do that anymore. When you go to school, you must follow the rules, he said. What would happen if every boy and girl hid in the supply closet after school? It would be very smushy in there, I said. And then he made his eyes frowny. But we wouldn't know wherever anyone was, would we? Yes, I said. We would all be in the supply closet. Then the principal looked up at the ceiling, and I looked up too, but I didn't see anything up again. After that, Mother looked at my Band-Aids. Did you hurt yourself? she said. And so I told her all about the dangerous nurse's office, and then I showed her the nurse's purple sweater, and she made me give it back. After that, everybody started leaving. The firemen and the policemen and also the tall lady with the bed. Then finally my mother got to take me home, and guess what? I didn't have to ride on that smelly, stupid smelly bus. Except the car wasn't that fun because mother was grouchy at me. I'm sorry the bus wasn't fun for you, Junie B, but what you did was very, very, very, very wrong. Didn't you see all the commotion you caused? You had a lot of people very scared. Yes, but I didn't want chocolate milk poured on my head, I explained to her. That's not going to happen, growled— That's not gonna happen, growled Mother. And you can't just suddenly decide for yourself not to ride the bus. Hundreds of kids ride buses every day, and if you can do it, You can do it too. If they can do it, you can do it too. Then my eyes got wet again. Yeah, but there's meanies on that thing, I said all sniffily. Then Mother stopped being so growly. What if I had— what if you had a friend to ride with? she said. Your teacher told me there's a girl in your class who will be riding the bus for the first time tomorrow. Maybe you could sit together. Would you like that? I made my shoulders go up and down. Her name is Grace, she said. Said Mother. Grace? I said. Hey, I know that Grace. I learned her today. And so when we got home, Mother called Grace's mother, and then they talked, and then me and that Grace talked too. And I said hi, and she said hi, and then she said she would sit with me. And so tomorrow I get to take my little red purse on the bus, and I, and I get to put it on the seat next to me so nobody will sit there. Nobody except for that Grace, of course. And then she and me might get to be buddies, and we can hold hands just like me and Lucille. I will like that, I think. And guess what else? Tomorrow I think I might like that— tomorrow I think I might like yellow a little bit too. The end.
