Junie B. controversee. (Heh.*)

From the NYT:

But more than a few parents have taken issue with Junie B., as she is called. Their disagreement is a pint-size version of the lingering education battle between advocates of phonics, who believe children should be taught proper spelling and grammar from the outset, and those who favor whole language, a literacy method that accepts misspellings and other errors as long as children are engaged in reading and writing.

Okay, personally, I'm not a huge fan of the books.  Personally.  Like, I personally don't like reading them.  They make my eyes cross.

But this part made me sad:

The series has been banned in Lewis and Susan Bartell’s home in Old Westbury, N.Y.

“My dad doesn’t like the grammar,” said the Bartells’s youngest, Mollie, 9. “And I guess that’s important, because maybe when you grow up and you’re at work and you say, ‘I runned,’ people will get annoyed at you.”

Awwwww.  Totally entertaining picture of some office worker out there talking like Junie B. Jones aside, it's sad that she seems to think that we turn into exactly what we read.  (If we did, I'd be in big trouble.)

And, hey, look -- Fuse was quoted.  She's so famous.

[Later:  More on this from J.L. Bell.]

*I didn't mangle it nearly enough, though.

Comments

[Debra Hamel]

I like the books a lot. They're good for reading aloud, by which i mean that they flow nicely. Not all books do. The departures from proper English are not so many that they annoy you in the reading. (Try reading a Rugrats book if you want to be annoyed by that.) Nor do I think the ungrammatical bits are problematic, and I'm a grammar-phile. Come on: your kid's not going to be ruined grammatically by these books. Just speak correctly at home and your kids probably will too. Finally, the Junie B. books are funny! In fact, I read the first one aloud to my five-year-old a couple days ago and she was cracking up. Now she wants us to read all the ones we have.

I read a comment on another post somewhere on this issue in which someone recommended instead that you have your kids read a Cam Jansen book. Great idea, if you want to show them how boring writing can be. The Junie B. Jones books are playful and well-written.

It's not enough that "kids are reading and writing". If they mis-spell words, especially on a resume, they may not ever get a really good job, at least one that requires communication skills.

I'm a writer, so I'm biased in favor of books, even "difficult" reading, like Derrida, that forces us out of our infernal "comfort zones" and makes us use our minds to full extent.

I think reading and writing skills are among the most vital in life and business, so to "accept" crappy spelling and such is a terrible disservice to youth.

Shame on lazy disorganized teacher jerks.

Shall we accept arithmetic errors too? "Who cares if they add and subtract wrong, at least they're engaged in arithmetic on some level" What a load of garbage!

At least that's one writerly guy's perspective this morning on half a cup of coffee.

[Lady S]

We should remove one (very popular) book series, because what kids are reading in second grade is going to affect how they write when they are in their 20s? Couldn't possibly have anything to do with all the testing we are forced to do instead of teaching or kids being advanced for social reasons instead of academic ones or parents fighting teachers over poor grades the kids deserve?

I love Junie B. She is cute and funny and my students like to read her.

[Chrissy]

1. Five year olds don't write resumes.
2. If parents speak properly so will the kids and they will see the grammar and spelling errors with the humor that was intended.
3. If a child really really enjoys reading these, why would you ever discourage that?
4. My child will often read things I don't like. I expect that. I intend to raise a beautiful snowflake. However, I will quietly leave the room and bang my head on the wall the day he/she comes home with Weetzie Bat proclaiming it is the highest form of literature.

[Chrissy]

Oh yeah...
5. Junnie B is not ruining grammar. Words like "lite" and "thru" and "ur" and "imma" and "cya" (I can go on and on) are destroying grammar.

[Debra Hamel]

I posted about your post, Leila, and commented on the issue a bit more here: http://www.the-deblog.com/2007/07/why-i-like-juni.html

[Tom]

How horrible that someone writes a book that entertains kids and might make them want to read!!!

My daughter loved Junie B. Jones when she was little. And now that she is 14 she is reading Truman Capote and J. D. Salinger. Junie B. helped Beth learn to LOVE reading which is all you can ask from any children's book. And besides, they are incredibly funny.

[Chrissy]

Also, this is the same reason that the Powers That Be wanted to remove Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. He doesn't speak properly and therefore children would grow up only saying "Me want cookies".
Yeah.