So, you’re looking for Junie B Jones in order. Maybe you’re a parent trying to keep a first-grader occupied, or maybe you’re just hit with a wave of 90s nostalgia. Either way, there is a very specific way these books flow that most people actually get wrong.
Most readers don't realize that the series is strictly divided into two distinct life stages: Kindergarten and First Grade. If you mix them up, the character development feels... well, a little chaotic. Even for Junie B.
The Kindergarten Years (Books 1–17)
Barbara Park started this whole thing in 1992. The first 17 books follow Junie B. through the trials of being five years old. She’s loud. She’s impulsive. She calls the school bus "stupid" and "smelly." Honestly, she’s kind of a lot. But that’s why kids love her. They see their own internal filter—or lack thereof—on the page.
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- Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus (1992): The one where she hides in a media center closet because she's terrified of the bus.
- Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (1993): She thinks her new baby brother is actually a monkey.
- Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth (1993): Job Day goes south when she claims she's going to be a janitor.
- Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying (1994): She spies on her teacher and sees something she shouldn't have.
- Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake (1995): Carnival night is a disaster.
- Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday (1996): The start of a legendary schoolyard rivalry.
- Junie B. Jones Loves Handsome Warren (1996): A new boy arrives, and things get competitive.
- Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed (1997): Dealing with the "monster" after a school photo mishap.
- Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal (1997): A sleepover at Lucille’s giant house.
- Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook (1997): She finds a "mitten" and struggles with the finders-keepers rule.
- Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy (1998): Pet Day, but she doesn't have a dog. She has a fish stick. Kinda.
- Junie B. Jones Is a Beauty Shop Guy (1998): She cuts her own hair. It goes about as well as you'd expect.
- Junie B. Jones Is (Almost) a Flower Girl (1999): Trying to not ruin an aunt's wedding.
- Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentime (1999): The "Valentime" mystery.
- Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket (2000): A farm field trip and a fear of roosters.
- Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day (2001): Competitive sports and a lot of yelling.
- Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl (2001): The big move to the "big kid" school.
The Big Shift: Junie B., First Grader (Books 18–28)
After Book 17, the branding changed. The titles shifted to "Junie B., First Grader" because, well, she grew up. Sort of. She’s still the same kid who says "wowie wow wow," but the stakes feel a little different. She gets glasses. She deals with "Cheater Pants" May.
- Junie B., First Grader (at Last!) (2001): Book 18. New teacher, Mr. Scary, and the realization she can't see the board.
- Boss of Lunch (2002): Book 19. Helping in the cafeteria.
- Toothless Wonder (2002): Book 20. The trauma of the first loose tooth.
- Cheater Pants (2003): Book 21. A homework dilemma.
- One-Man Band (2003): Book 22. The kickball tournament.
- Shipwrecked (2004): Book 23. A school play about Columbus.
- Boo... and I Mean It! (2004): Book 24. Halloween fears.
- Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) (2005): Book 25. The classic Secret Santa showdown.
- Aloha-ha-ha! (2006): Book 26. A trip to Hawaii.
- Dumb Bunny (2007): Book 27. An Easter egg hunt gone wrong.
- Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and Other Thankful Stuff) (2012): Book 28. The final official story in the main timeline.
Why Do People Get So Mad at These Books?
It's weird, right? You'd think a book about a six-year-old would be pretty safe. But Junie B. Jones has actually been one of the most challenged series in American libraries.
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The American Library Association listed it at #71 on the Top 100 Banned or Challenged Books from 2000 to 2009. Parents and teachers have two main gripes. First, the grammar. Junie says things like "runned" and "bestest." Critics worry kids will pick up bad habits. Second, her attitude. She can be rude to her parents and call her classmates "dumb."
But fans argue that's exactly why she works. She isn't a "perfect role model" because six-year-olds aren't perfect role models. They make mistakes. They use bad words because they heard them on TV. Barbara Park once said that the value of a book isn't just the moral lesson; sometimes, it's just about giving a kid a reason to smile.
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Beyond the Main 28 Books
If you’ve finished the main Junie B Jones in order, there are a few extras.
Random House released Top-Secret Personal Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B. (and me!) in 2003. It's an activity book. Then there's Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School (2009).
Most recently, in 2025, the series got a major facelift. They started releasing graphic novel adaptations. The first one, Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, was adapted by Colleen AF Venable and illustrated by Honie Beam. It’s a smart move. Modern kids love the graphic novel format, and seeing Junie’s chaotic energy in full color makes the humor hit a little differently for a new generation.
How to Start Reading
If you’re introducing these to a kid, don't just grab a random one from a thrift store. Start with Book 1. The character growth is subtle, but it's there. She learns to handle her "big fat mouth" (sometimes). She navigates friendships with Lucille and Grace. By the time she hits the first-grade books, she’s a slightly more seasoned veteran of the elementary school trenches.
- Step 1: Get the "Books in a Bus" box set. It usually covers the first 28 stories.
- Step 2: Read them aloud. The humor works best when you do the voices.
- Step 3: Use the "bad" grammar as a teaching moment. Ask, "What should she have said instead of 'runned'?" It turns a critique into a literacy win.