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Junebug #2
Junebug and the Reverend
Junebug is set to leave all his old problems behind when his family moves from the projects to a better neighborhood. But new problems crop up when he runs into school bullies and has trouble making new friends. His younger sister, Tasha, quickly fits in and makes friends with the tenants in their building, a group home for the elderly that their mama supervises.
When summer vacation starts, Junebug's lazy-day plans are squashed when Mama tells him to take walks with cranky old Reverend Ashford every day and play soccer with the very same school bullies that beat him up. Is this any way to spend summer vacation? Little does Junebug know that there are some lessons you don't learn in school.
When summer vacation starts, Junebug's lazy-day plans are squashed when Mama tells him to take walks with cranky old Reverend Ashford every day and play soccer with the very same school bullies that beat him up. Is this any way to spend summer vacation? Little does Junebug know that there are some lessons you don't learn in school.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
37 people want to read
About the author
Alice Mead
28 books11 followersAlice Mead is the author of many books for young readers, as well as a painter and human rights advocate. Though confined to a wheelchair, she lives independently in Maine.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 15, 2015
Personal Reaction: Honestly I thought this book was way to complicated for the grade level it is supposedly assigned for. There are a lot of major problems in this book that the main character, Junebug, has to deal with. It starts with him moving away from his friends to a better neighborhood and then has to deal with bullies, not knowing anyone in his new school, and not having a dad with his mom trying to dad a new man. Its a very complicated plot but it does have very easy vocabulary and its a quick read.
Purpose: Elementary school read aloud. I would choose to read this book out loud in a classroom just because there are so many different things going on. I believe it is important to talk about moving to a new place especially if you have new students in your class with no friends. Also, it is a good way to teach your students about bullying and how severe it really is. This can lead into a bullying lesson that will stick with the kids throughout their school career. There are also lessons within this book to teach your students about how to accept a new family member (stepmom, stepdad, etc). This book is an easy way to let students know that everything works out for the best and it is good to give chances to new people in your life. Bullying is a serious problem in our country and it needs to be stopped so this book is a great way to show its problems.
Purpose: Elementary school read aloud. I would choose to read this book out loud in a classroom just because there are so many different things going on. I believe it is important to talk about moving to a new place especially if you have new students in your class with no friends. Also, it is a good way to teach your students about bullying and how severe it really is. This can lead into a bullying lesson that will stick with the kids throughout their school career. There are also lessons within this book to teach your students about how to accept a new family member (stepmom, stepdad, etc). This book is an easy way to let students know that everything works out for the best and it is good to give chances to new people in your life. Bullying is a serious problem in our country and it needs to be stopped so this book is a great way to show its problems.
April 14, 2015
Personal Reaction: I really appreciated all of the conflicts occurring in the book. They were all things that any students could relate to. I was bullied any time from elementary school to high school. Therefore, I was able to relate to Junebug with his issues at school and feeling like, at times, he didn't have friends or confidants to talk to. If I can relate to the book, I know others will be able to as well.
Purpose: This book has many different uses in the classroom. It could be used to show diversity in the classroom, and show the different backgrounds of the students. Junebug was from a lower class and lived in the projects. He then moved to a completely different type of neighborhood and lifestyle, and had to learn to embrace that. This could show the students an inside look to different types of home lives and where others might come from. This could also be used for a lesson on inclusion or friendship. At times, Junebug felt alone. He had one friend at school but still did not feel like he belonged. He eventually let go of hurt in his past to accept his new life. This could show how much easier school and life could be with better friendships and acquaintances.
Purpose: This book has many different uses in the classroom. It could be used to show diversity in the classroom, and show the different backgrounds of the students. Junebug was from a lower class and lived in the projects. He then moved to a completely different type of neighborhood and lifestyle, and had to learn to embrace that. This could show the students an inside look to different types of home lives and where others might come from. This could also be used for a lesson on inclusion or friendship. At times, Junebug felt alone. He had one friend at school but still did not feel like he belonged. He eventually let go of hurt in his past to accept his new life. This could show how much easier school and life could be with better friendships and acquaintances.
May 8, 2013
I am currently reading children's literature on the topic of bullying. The kids that I work with (grades 3-5) find most of the picturebooks irrelevant. I can't want to read this book with them. It's great realistic fiction that covers a lot of different topics, but the main character handles bullying in a very generative and empowering approach. I think the kids will find this very realistic!
August 18, 2007
I teach this book every year in my classes and every year I've found the kids love it. It's a well-written and interesting novel.
October 4, 2017
Junebug, his mother, and his sister move out of the projects and into a new neighborhood. Junebug will not only experience a new neighborhood but also new problems. A new school brings tough times for Junebug. Though he can escape for a little while by practicing sailing skills, Junebug still struggles with making friends and the school bullies. Things turn around when an unexpected elderly friend comes into the picture.
This book is an easy read. This quality made me stick with the book. I enjoyed the plot of the story. I feel that Junebug and the Reverend is appropriate for the range of grades of fourth grade through sixth grade. I would have this in my classroom as an option for my students to read. I would definitely read it to the class to raise discussions about different topics regarding the book's culture.
This book is an easy read. This quality made me stick with the book. I enjoyed the plot of the story. I feel that Junebug and the Reverend is appropriate for the range of grades of fourth grade through sixth grade. I would have this in my classroom as an option for my students to read. I would definitely read it to the class to raise discussions about different topics regarding the book's culture.
May 30, 2017
I was expecting more details into Rev. Ashford's life. Maybe in the other books about Junebug does the story continue about the Reverend. Because of some violence, I can only recommend this book for readers ages 11+.
January 13, 2023
A pretty good book, although Junebug was a little annoying at times.
April 15, 2015
Junebug and the Reverend is a book that hit close to home for me because I was able to draw from personal experiences in order to relate to the book. When in grade school in my small town of eight-hundred people, my classmates and I had a kid come into our class who had moved from a not so upstanding part of LA, California. Brandon, the boy who had moved to small town Kansas, was known for having been in trouble in California and being involved with less than desirable crowds of people. As I read about Junebug and how he was moving to place that was supposed to take all of his troubles away, I could not help but think of Brandon. This made me completely change the way that I thought about Brandon and his move to Mankato. Much like Junebug, Brandon left behind one set of problems in California to deal with all new problems in Mankato, KS.
As far as the classroom goes, there are a number of ways in which this book can be used. First of all, when doing units on social studies and talking about the different types of places such as: urban, rural, and suburban; this book can provide a great landscape for talking about these different types of places. Teachers can use this book as a read aloud prelude to this kind of a social studies unit. This book provides the perfect example of one particular kind of urban neighborhood. As an independent read,this book could be used for students like Brandon, who I mentioned before, or other students who might be moving from one type of a place or neighborhood to another that is totally different. It also comes to no surprise that this book can be used to teach the literary element of settings because the setting has a dramatic shift in the book. This shift can be used to show students how the setting of the book can change the meaning of many different things.
Aside from these many great classroom uses, this book also can be used to show cultural diversity. Junebug is an African-American boy who comes from a bad neighborhood, and perhaps this will something that some students in the classroom will be able to relate to.
As far as the classroom goes, there are a number of ways in which this book can be used. First of all, when doing units on social studies and talking about the different types of places such as: urban, rural, and suburban; this book can provide a great landscape for talking about these different types of places. Teachers can use this book as a read aloud prelude to this kind of a social studies unit. This book provides the perfect example of one particular kind of urban neighborhood. As an independent read,this book could be used for students like Brandon, who I mentioned before, or other students who might be moving from one type of a place or neighborhood to another that is totally different. It also comes to no surprise that this book can be used to teach the literary element of settings because the setting has a dramatic shift in the book. This shift can be used to show students how the setting of the book can change the meaning of many different things.
Aside from these many great classroom uses, this book also can be used to show cultural diversity. Junebug is an African-American boy who comes from a bad neighborhood, and perhaps this will something that some students in the classroom will be able to relate to.
April 14, 2015
Junebug and the Reverend by Alice Mead is a book that allows students to be able to pull parts of it to make connections to their own lives, making this a great read. This book follows Junebug and his families move out of the projects and into a better neighborhood. Thinking that his problems would fade, a whole new set of problems arise. A forced time commitment turns into an unexpecting friendship with an old Reverend living in their building and Junebug learns lessons from him and others that he never expected. I really liked this book because it shows the hard truth of growing up. Whether you are in a nice socioeconomic neighborhood or are fearful to walk down the street in the projects, each child is faced with difficulties growing up and I like how this book didn't hold back and showed students truth and hardship but in a still child friendly way.
This book would be perfect to be used in a classroom but on a more emotional and value based curriculum stance. All students could pull parts of this book that they relate to. Not having a father growing up, growing up in a bad part of town, being the target of the school bully; even if its on a lesser scale connections can still be made. And those connections could be used on both a class level as a whole or student based, depending if the class is all facing similar problems or if its on a more individual student based scale. All of that mostly captures the diverse perspectives that can be pulled from this book. I think its a great book to read in a classroom and can be used many different ways in a classroom environment.
This book would be perfect to be used in a classroom but on a more emotional and value based curriculum stance. All students could pull parts of this book that they relate to. Not having a father growing up, growing up in a bad part of town, being the target of the school bully; even if its on a lesser scale connections can still be made. And those connections could be used on both a class level as a whole or student based, depending if the class is all facing similar problems or if its on a more individual student based scale. All of that mostly captures the diverse perspectives that can be pulled from this book. I think its a great book to read in a classroom and can be used many different ways in a classroom environment.
February 9, 2017
My first impression when reading Junebug and the Reverend was this book has a complicated plot line. For advanced elementary readers this story will prove well worth the read. Less advanced readers may appreciate the book read out loud to them whether at home or used in a school curriculum.
I think time should be allotted to process the universal truths and situations written. Parents and teachers should ask questions and see what spiritual truths have been gleamed from the book.
Throughout the story, characters struggle with telling the truth, smoking, unsafe living environments, job demands, the aging process, emotional problems, and bullies.
But all is not lost for young readers. Junebug and the Reverend challenges characters and readers to not judge first appearances, to think for yourself, work hard, and to trust the good in the world. And above all, never give up.
Towards the end of the book the plot wrapped up nicely. I now felt maybe the book was not as complicated as I originally thought, but more like real life-many facets.
I think time should be allotted to process the universal truths and situations written. Parents and teachers should ask questions and see what spiritual truths have been gleamed from the book.
Throughout the story, characters struggle with telling the truth, smoking, unsafe living environments, job demands, the aging process, emotional problems, and bullies.
But all is not lost for young readers. Junebug and the Reverend challenges characters and readers to not judge first appearances, to think for yourself, work hard, and to trust the good in the world. And above all, never give up.
Towards the end of the book the plot wrapped up nicely. I now felt maybe the book was not as complicated as I originally thought, but more like real life-many facets.
April 1, 2016
Do you like boats? I personally have been on boats many times and it was cool. This book is about a kid and his love of boats. He goes ahead to a place called the boatyard. as you can tell the till is Junebug and the Reverend. It called that because its about a kid who likes boats. His nickname is junebug because he is like a summertime junebug repeatedly banging on the window and it relates to him because he asks so many questions and they are both annoying. back to the title. the reverend is a captain who goes ahead and take care of the boats and he recruits junebug to help him with the boats. this book is alright but, it wouldn't be my top pick i randomly grabbed it of a shelf and started reading it. I would give this book 3 stars because i liked it but it could have been better. Its nice and short its a good book ,but its not my type. If you like adventure books this book is for you.
June 9, 2013
A heartwarming, true-to-life story, I love Junebug's curiosity and courage!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews