just the b and that's it

Junie B. Jones is quickly becoming one of my favorite children's literature characters. She has a sophistication I doubt the 8-year-old I read her to actually understands. But boy do I have fun getting into character! Even the sentence structure, how part of her confidence is lost in all the extra words she uses, is perfection in my opinion. We've discussed before how children's literature is really just adults writing books for kids but this book feels like it's written for an older crowd anyway. I honestly don't understand what the girl I read it to gets out of it. I think she finds Junie's predicaments funny but doesn't catch most of the subtle humor. I'd never read one before I started reading them to her and we didn't get through the book in one session but I was so impressed with Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal that I sat there after our session was over and read the whole thing. I know these books run pretty much in the same vein as say, Eloise, but I like them so much better somehow. I think it's an interesting concept to create a book for older readers (read: upper primary/middle school) about a younger character. It's simple enough for younger readers to get through but challenging enough for older readers to want to read...I think. Plus, they're just dang funny.