Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants

Junie B. Jones #21

by Barbara Park, Denise Brunkus (Illustrator)

“Hilarious. Barbara Park makes reading fun.” —Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man Barbara Park’s #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for more than twenty-five years. Over 65 million copies sold!   Meet the World’s Funniest First Grader—Junie B. Jones! Junie B. has all the answers when it comes to cheating. It’s just plain wrong! But what about copying someone else’s homework? That’s not cheating, right? ’Cause homework isn’t even a test! And speaking of tests . . . what if a friend shares an answer that you didn’t even ask for? Sharing definitely isn’t cheating . . . is it? Uh-oh. Maybe this cheating business is more complicated than Junie B. thought. Could she be a cheater pants and not even know it?   USA Today: “Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set.”   Publishers Weekly: “Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.—and reading—are lots of fun.”   Kirkus Reviews: “Junie’s swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world. . . . A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud.”   Time: “Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty.”

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade, Juvenile

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Barbara Lynne Park was an American author of children's books.

Reviews

[Destiny Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute way to explain about cheating!

[Sheila Bokor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Junie B., is at it again! Barbara Park really knows how to make this girl the funniest, believable grade oner in the world. Her use of a grade one’s language is priceless to adults and engaging to the children who read her books. Every class has a Junie B. or May or Herbert and a Mr. Scary (the teacher), the fact that any child could see themselves as one of the characters in the story makes it believable, and the lesson to be learned is more poignant. The cover illustration of Junie B., craning her neck over so that she can clearly see the homework sitting on the desk next to her, makes everyone immediately think , she’s cheating! In this story Junie B. struggles with the concept of cheating and learns that borrowing, or sharing someone else’s school work is actually cheating. The first time she “borrows’” May’s homework assignment right in the grade 1 classroom and it backfires on her big time. Junie B. tried to rationalize that borrowing and cheating are not the same thing, Mr. Scary and her Mom and Dad explain the difference so she could understand. The second time her best friend Herbert “shares” his spelling test with her and they both realize that it does not feel good to do things they know are wrong, even though they got away with it. Junie B. and her best friend work through their feelings and come up with a plan to make it right, but it only makes it worse for them. This book is so well written for its intended audience that children will have no problem figuring it out and realizing that in the end it is always best to tell the truth no matter what. This chapter book has very few illustrations, but they are very well placed, inject humor and help children easily identify with the characters in the story because the illustrations are drawn so well in the realistic style. Junie B. stories have just enough pictures to help children move from picture books to chapter books, they also help place the characters in settings that they understand. In this book Junie B. is at home, school and on the school bus but the text and illustrations work so well together in telling the story that children immediately understand where everything is taking place. Junie B. tells it like it is in a grade one mind, I remember reading Junie B. to my boys and they thought she was hilarious but they got it. They understood the message about what was right and what was wrong, just as any young reader will. I have quite a lot of Junie B. books in my library and they are great books to recommend to those children just starting to read on there own.

[Dania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Park has never failed at keeping my smile in check as I read her delightful stories. They're works that should be considered masterpieces, and if a first and second graders' opinions were to count as good as the president's, I'm sure they would be. As a lonely second grader venturing into a new school, I sought solace in reading, the only place where it was quiet and magical at the same time was the library, the only section that didn't seem daunting with all the older grades hovering around its shelves was the "First Chapter Books" section. The first book I happened to pull out was a Junie B. Jones one, I read the first pages. Absolutely hooked! Checked out the three available Junie B. books and vowed to buy more at our school's annual book fair. These were a staple in my childhood, for sure! The story gives you the space for your imagination to roam freely, it really does. Thank you Barbara Park, you are perhaps the reason I've continuously had my nose in a book throughout my primary years, an introduction into a world with so much to offer.

[Alivia Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love for Junie B runs deep. I read all 30+ with my son many years ago and found this on our bookshelf and read it with my daughter over the last few days. Daughter: “Mom, could we read some more of that Johnny McJones book?”

[Genna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal response:
I rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars. I think that I could have used this book when I was younger, because it would have told me that cheating is not a good thing. I liked this book because the author really makes it clear that this book is from a first grader's point of view by using a first graders vocabulary.


Plot:
Junie B. Jones was a first grader who needed help with her homework. One day when one of Junie’s friends let her “borrow” her homework, Junie’s teacher caught them and yelled at them for cheating. Junie didn't really know what her teacher meant by cheating so she did not think too much about it. A couple days later, Junie needed help with her homework again so she found a new friend to “borrow” homework from. This time after she cheated, her teacher called her parents and told them about Junie's cheating problem. Junie had a feeling of guilt in her and she did not know why because she didn't know what she was doing wrong. She went home and her parents told her why cheating was not okay and why it's different from borrowing. They told her cheating was bad because she was not doing the homework herself so she was not learning. Junie realized that she wanted to be that smartest kid in the school so she stopped cheating and learned her lesson.


Characterization:
The main character in this book is a first grade girl whose name is Junie B. Jones. Junie is a very energetic kid that always thinks she's right. Throughout the book Junie is very energetic, but confused because she did not understand why cheating was bad. Another character is Junie's teacher who was mad at Junie through the whole book. He was a important character because he helped Junie learn why cheating is bad.


Setting:
This book takes place in Junie's town and at Junie’s school. This book takes place in modern times because Junie rides a bus to school and Junie’s teacher called her parents on a phone. This is important because if Junie teacher did not call Junie's parents, she would not have figured out why cheating is bad.


Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone in first through fifth grade. I think that those ages are good because this book is the reading level for those grades. Kids that age should know that cheating is a bad thing. I think that boys and girls would both like this book because it is both funny and somewhat educational.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t grow up reading Junie B. Jones, but I’m going to school to be a school librarian, so when a student told me they had read all the Junie B. books, I knew they might have a good Recommendation. She recommended Cheater Pants! So now I’ve read one Junie B. Jones book. :) Cinquains were new to me via this book! I’m curious what other interesting pieces of information are hidden away in Junie B. Jones!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junie B learns about cheating.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! This is such a good book for little ones to learn about cheating, honesty, and integrity.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junie B. Jones is always getting into mischief one way or another. In the book "Junie B., First Grader Cheater Pants," Junie B. can't help but to "borrow" one of her classmates homework for the day. This causes Junie B. to face the consequences, but also makes her question what cheating is exactly. In the end, Junie B. learns a tough life lesson and earns her teacher's trust all over again.

Barbara Park does a great job in really capturing Junie B.'s personality and character in all of her Junie B. Jones books. She writes each book through Junie B.'s eyes and tells it exactly like how a first grader would think and speak. For example, "After that, I quick sat down. And I stuffed the paper back into my desk... I felt shaky and sickish inside. Very slow, I took out my paper again" (pg. 22). As seen here, Park definitely knows how to let readers get inside a young child's mind through her vocal and descriptive writing. Any person reading this book can relate to Junie B. in some way since they get a strong sense of what Junie B. is like throughout the whole book. I would be sure to use any of the Junie B. books to teach students about developing characters in their own writing. I could use a specific chapter or part of a chapter to lead students into the lesson.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with C

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great!!

[Francesca Pashby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the joy I remembered ... think the kindergarten ones are much better.

[Nagini · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
+Dlaczego dzieci jedzą śmieci Anny Manny Poznańskiej 5 ⭐

[Lee]

The first time my childhood self went "damn, am I actually May??"

[Martine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junie B. learns the hard way that cheating on her school work is wrong.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay I literally cried at the end of this one that's crazy

[Kustav Vello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it! I would recommend this for everyone!

[Maggie Cheesman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Junie B Jones was in a lot of trouble when she realized that she didn't finish her homework over the weekend. Her assignment was to write about what she did over the weekend, but instead of writing her own, Junie B. decided to copy her neighbors assignment. May, her classroom neighbor, had left her assignment on the edge of her desk while she was out of the room. Junie B. thought this was a perfect time for her to copy May's assignment. The class had to read their papers aloud to their class. Once the teacher realized that May and Junie B. had very similar weekends, she questioned them about it. Junie B. admitted that she forgot to complete her assignment so she copied May's. Once Junie was caught, she vowed to herself that she will never cheat again. That afternoon, her friend admitted that he had a copy of the spelling test. Junie B decided to look at the test with him. Since she felt bad right after doing this, Junie B. admitted this to her teacher and she had to take a zero on her spelling test. Throughout the remainder of the book, Junie B. cheated in other ways as well. Towards the end of the book, Junie B. realizes how bad cheating is and she vows to make herself stop.
Junie B. Jones series is the perfect series for students who are beginning to learn to read. They are very easy to read chapter books. The chapters are short and the print is large so it helps the students feel like they have read more, this will also encourage the students to read more. All of her stories are very funny and they constantly keep the students interested because of the humor that Junie B. Jones has. Junie B. Jones is very relatable for all students because the things she goes through, all students also go through. It is written as if she is writing in her journal and all young students keep a journal so I also think this makes it relatable. I think this series is perfect for students who are in second or third grade and trying to finish their first chapter book on their own.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reason I loved reading Junie b jones is because it is funny and it taught Junie a lesson so she could not cheat again and the girl in her class was funny too she always talks about how she always gets A and she talks about how she is always on time and she says she knows everything that is happening that day Junie doesn't like but she still cheated on her homework Junie is so funny in that book and I loved it because she was always saying how she feels about that person,thing,and may the girl that sits by her in class and they had a spelling test she didn't study for it but she tried the word was fox,box,and would but she didn't know how to spell it she tried the first time and she spelled it like this wood but good her teacher mr. Scary gave them a sentence so she noticed it was wrong and she kept trying her friend that sits by her saw her struggling so he helped her with the word and she copied it they both couldn't go to sleep because he told her the answer and she copied it the next day they told the mr.scary and they got a zero and that is my favorite part I have another favorite part and it is when they had to write poems they wanted to write about their selves so they wrote pallies do you understand what they meant they were talking about how they are so much best friends they were only four people but they were close friends and that is why they wrote pallies because it is about them and that was my other favorite part The end

[Hayli Galupi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a first grader named Junie B. Jones. She needed help with with her homework so she borrowed her friend's homework and copied it. The teacher was upset when she found out that Junie was cheating. When the teacher yelled at Junie for cheating, she didn't understand what she meant by that. Junie felt really bad because she wasn't aware of what she was doing, so when her parents told her that cheating was wrong and she wants learning, Junie started to do her own work. The theme of the book is school and cheating. The Junie B. Jones series was my favorite book series growing up and I would read so many of the books. I remember when I was younger that I read this particular book three times. I just found this book so interesting for some reason and I was so eager to keep reading it. I was never able to put this book down. I do recommend this book and the other books from the series as well. This book in particular teachers a lesson about cheating in school and why it is wrong. Kids can learn why cheating is wrong and how it's better to do work on their own because they are learning more. I think that a lot of kids can enjoy this book and the series because of how humorous they are.

[Kathryn Dooley · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Junie B. Jones come to school one day without her homework done, she decides to copy off of her friend May. Junie B. doesn't think that this is cheating because it's not a test or anything like that. However, when Mr. Scary sent home a note about what happened, Junie B.'s parents are angry with her, and they have a talk about cheating. Later on, Junie B. and her friends work together to come up with a cinquain poem. With all of the excitement about the poetry, Junie B. forgot to study for her spelling test. That's when it happened again, Herb, her friend, shared his answer with her. The guilt ate at both of them until they turned themselves in. They both got zeros on the test, and Mr. Scary called their parents. Once again, Junie B. had a talk about cheating with her parents.

Junie B. Jones will always be one of my all time favorite characters. She is comical, witty, and relatable. Her experiences with cheating are something that children face in school, and this book helps them realize what counts as cheating as well as the consequences they will face for cheating.

[Angela Ricci]

"Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants" is the story about how the infamous Junie B. Jones learns her lesson about cheating in school. Junie forgot to do her homework over the weekend and gets caught copying her friends. On her next spelling test, she cheats but does not get in trouble. She feels so guilty she turns herself in. I love this book because it is a light way to introduce to young children that cheating is bad. Junie B. thinks as a first grader and we can see how herself along with other young students may not see her actions as being "wrong". I also love how in the book Junie B. tries to explain what the word "punishment" is. It is a sophisticated word for her, and I love how she provides the meaning after using it. It teaches students a valuable lesson and is entertaining. Barbra Park never fails to make me smile and laugh.

[Hannah Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book teaches a great lesson to young kiddos. Junie is already so relatable with her fire cracker attitude and quick wit. When she is faced with a situation in which she decides to cheat on her homework. Junie is not completely aware that this isn't the right decision but like most young kids, she had a bad feeling but thought maybe she could get away with it. She borrows a friends homework, and chooses to copy it. Junie lost her teachers trust when she found out that she used a friends answers, and Junie did not know what to do. She was almost confused in a sense because she didn't know that what she was doing was technically cheating. In the end she learns that cheating is really bad, and she wants to do her own work from there on. This is a great lesson for kids, to teach them that are a lot of different forms of cheating.

[Sarah Childs]

“Junie B., First Grader. Cheater Pants” by Barbara Park. Published by Random House Children’s Books; New York; copyright 2004

1. Awards this book has received: none

2. Appropriate grade levels: first to third grade

3. Summary: Junie B. sits next to a girl named May who is not very nice to her. When Junie forgets to do her homework, she decides to look at May’s paper and copy off of it. The teacher decides to have everyone share their homework and Junie’s sounded exactly like May’s.

4. Review: Junie B. Jones is able to relate to young students in a funny, sassy and enjoyable way. Children enjoy reading these books and they are exposed to life lessons and real situations without even realizing it.

5. Uses in the classroom:

-match the vocab words from the story to their meanings

-Teach the class what an index is and have them practice using it.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read a bunch of Junie B. Jones books when I was younger, but I still got to know this spunky character. I read this one for a children's literature course I'm taking. I have to say, this is one of the better books in the series because Junie B. actually learns a lesson and doesn't get away with her brattiness and bad behavior. This is one I wouldn't mind reading to my children or even my future students because it goes over what cheating means, and how important it is to not cheat.

[Tifanie Bethel]

my students love this series. These books are very witty, and funny. These are by far a favorite first grade read aloud.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite book when I was in 1st grade. My teacher mrs mellisa would always read them to us

[Rae'Lu McBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of an assignment for my Washington State University Teaching & Learning 307 class. In this Junie B. Jones book, Junie has now passed from being a kindergartener to a first grader. This first grader not wanting “Mr. Scary” her teacher to find out that she has not completed her homework she decides to borrow the work from one of her classmates’ homework. Her teacher soon catches on seeing that Junie’s homework is identical to her classmates. He then talks to Junie telling her that this is not “borrowing” the correct term is cheating. Mr. Scary sends a note home to her parents. At home she gets talked to, her parents don't yell at her, but they do make it clear that cheating isn't right. Junie B. finds herself cheating again on her spelling test but this time her and her accomplice decide to turn themselves in. once again there are consequences, but Junie B. finally learns that cheating is not good. The moral of the story can serve as a great lesson to kids that cheating is not morally correct in any type of form.

[Caitlyn Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the beginning, Junie copied May's homework and her teacher, Mr. Scary sent a note home. She got in trouble and her parents got angry at her.

In the middle, Junie's best friend Herb, let her cheat on the spelling test. They told on themselves and their parents got mad again.

In the end, they were working in groups writing a poem. Junies group got an A+ on the poem. Junie learned a lesson. The lesson behind the book is don't cheat or lie because the outcome will not be good.

My favorite part was when Junie B. called May a big, fat, pinhead. That was my favorite part because when she said that, they started a fight. The characters in the book were interesting. They were all interesting because they said many funny things. I did not have a favorite. They were all cool. Junie B. has some characteristics like me. She was like me because she is outgoing and funny and so am I.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading funny stories that make you laugh.