Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal

Read Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal Online

Authors: Barbara Park

Contents

1. The Richiest Nanna

2. Excellent Work of Us

¹/
_{The Richiest Nanna}

My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don’t like Beatrice. I just like B and that’s all.

I am almost six years old.

Almost six is when you ride the bus to afternoon kindergarten.

My bestest friend named Grace rides the bus with me.

Every day she sits right exactly next to me. ’Cause I save her a seat, that’s why.

Saving a seat is when you zoom on the bus. And you hurry up and sit down. And
then you quick put your feet on the seat next to you.

After that, you keep on screaming the word “SAVED! SAVED! SAVED!” And no one even sits next to you. ’Cause who wants to sit next to a screamer? That’s what I would like to know.

Me and that Grace have another bestest friend at school. Her name is Lucille.

Lucille does not ride the bus with us. Her richie nanna drives her to school in a big gold car. It is called a Cattle Act, I think.

And guess what?

Today that big gold Cattle Act was driving right next to the school bus!

I banged on my window very excited.

“LUCILLE! HEY, LUCILLE! IT’S ME! IT’S JUNIE B. JONES! I AM RIGHT NEXT TO YOU ON THE SCHOOL BUS!
SEE ME? SEE ME, LUCILLE? I AM BANGING ON MY WINDOW VERY EXCITED!”

Lucille did not see me.

“YEAH, ONLY HERE’S THE PROBLEM! YOUR NANNA JUST SPEEDED UP HER CAR. AND NOW YOU ARE ZOOMING WAY AHEAD OF THE BUS. AND SO HOW COME I AM STILL SHOUTING AT YOU? THAT’S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.”

I sat down and smoothed my skirt.

“Lucille’s nanna has a lead foot, apparently,” I said to that Grace.

“Lucille’s nanna is rich,” she said back.

“Lucille’s nanna is very,
very
rich,” I said. “She owns a big, giant house with a million rooms in it. And she lets Lucille’s whole entire family live there. ’Cause it is
way too big for just one nanna.”

“Wow,” said that Grace.

“I know it is wow, Grace,” I said. “My nanna just owns a plain, old, regular house, and that’s it.”

That Grace did a sad sigh.

“My nanna just owns a condo in Florida,” she said.

Then me and that Grace looked at each other very glum.

“Our nannas are losers,” I said.

After that, we didn’t talk the rest of the trip.

Only guess what?

When we got to school, we saw the nanna’s big gold car! It was parked right in the parking lot!

Me and that Grace runned there speedy fast.

“Lucille! Lucille! It’s me! It’s Junie B. Jones! Plus also it’s that Grace! We are running to see your richie nanna!”

We opened the door and sticked our heads inside.

“Hi, Nanna!” I said.

“Hello, Nanna!” said that Grace.

The nanna looked surprised at us.

“Yeah, only you don’t even have to be afraid of us,” I said. “’Cause we know your grandgirl very good. Plus we won’t even harm you.”

Me and that Grace got in the back.

I rubbed my hand on the seat.

“Oooo! I love this rich velvety interior,” I told her.

I put my cheek on it.

“These seats are ooo-la-la, Nanna,” I said.

Lucille looked grouchy at me. “Don’t call her
nanna!
She’s
my
nanna! Not
your
nanna!”

“Lucille!” said the nanna very shocked. “What’s gotten into you? Your little friends are darling.”

“Yes, Lucille,” I said. “I am darling. Plus that Grace is darling. And so, back off. Right, Nanna?”

The nanna did a loud hoot of laughing.

“Hey! You are the friendliest nanna I ever saw!” I said. “And so maybe me and Grace can come see your richie house sometime.”

Lucille’s nanna did another loud hoot.

Then me and that Grace did loud hoots, too. And all of us kept on laughing and laughing.

Only not Lucille.

²/
_{Excellent Work of Us}

Lucille sits at my same table in Room Nine.

She kept on being mad at me. Only I don’t even know why.

“That is a lovely sweater you are wearing today, Lucille,” I said very pleasant.

She scooted her chair away from me.

I scooted next to her.

“Oooo. Is that sequins I see on the collar? ’Cause sequins are my favorite little, shiny, roundish beady things,” I told her.

I touched one of the sequins.

Lucille pushed my hand away.

I tickled her under the chin very friendly.

“Coochie-coochie-coo,” I said real fun.

Lucille turned her back to me.

I swinged her ponytail.

“Swingy, swingy, swingy,” I sang.

Just then, Lucille springed out of her chair.

“STOP TOUCHING ME!” she hollered right in my face.

My teacher hurried to my table speedy fast.

Her name is Mrs.

She has another name, too. But I just like Mrs. and that’s all.

I smiled at her very cute.

“Hello. How are you today? Me and Lucille are not even fighting. We are just having a loudish conservation.”

Mrs. looked funny at me.

“I think you mean
conversation
, Junie B.,” she said. “
Conservation
is when people save something.”

I tapped on my chin very thinking.

Then all of a sudden, I jumped up real excited.

“Yeah, only I
do
, Mrs.! I
do
save something!” I said. “I save that Grace a seat on the bus!”

I shouted across the room. “GRACE! HEY, GRACE! TELL MRS. HOW I SAVE YOU A SEAT ON THE BUS! ’CAUSE SHE THINKS I DON’T KNOW MY WORDS, APPARENTLY!”

That Grace shouted back. “SHE DOES, TEACHER! JUNIE B. SAVES ME A SEAT ON THE BUS EVERY SINGLE DAY!”

I smiled very proud. “See, Mrs.? I told
you! I told you I save something!”

Mrs. stared at me a real long time.

Then she closed her eyes.

And she said she needs a vacation.

Pretty soon, the bell rang for recess.

Lucille didn’t even wait for me and Grace. She runned right out the door without us.

That is how come we had to chase that girl down and surround her.

I made my voice very growly.

“I am at the end of my string with you, madam!” I said. “How come you keep being mad at us? ’Cause me and Grace didn’t even do anything to you!”

Lucille stamped her foot.

“Yes, you did! You ruined everything! I was begging my nanna for a little white
poodle! And she was almost going to say yes! And then you guys got in my back seat! And now everything is ruined!”

I did a huffy breath at her.

“Yeah, only that is not even our fault, Lucille! ’Cause we didn’t know you were begging! We just wanted to see your richie nanna, and that’s all!”

“I don’t care!” said Lucille. “You should have stayed away! You guys have your
own
nannas!”

Just then, me and that Grace got very glum again.

“I
know
we have nannas, Lucille,” I said. “But they are not
richie
nannas like yours.”

That Grace hanged her head.

“Our nannas are just
regular
nannas,” she said.

“They are duds,” I said real soft.

After that, Lucille acted nicer to us.

“Sorry,” she said. “Sorry about your regular nannas. I was just upset about not getting my poodle, that’s all. Usually my nanna gives me whatever I want.”

Just then, I smiled real big. ’Cause a great idea popped in my head, that’s why! It came right out of thin hair!

“Lucille! Hey, Lucille! Maybe me and Grace can come to your nanna’s house! And we can help you beg for a poodle!”

I danced all around.

“And here is
another
great idea! Maybe we can even spend the night, possibly! ’Cause me and Grace never even saw a richie house before! Plus that way we can beg for your poodle the whole entire evening!”

All of a sudden, that Grace started dancing
all around, too. “When can we come? When can we come?” she asked.

I clapped my hands very thrilled.

“I am available on Saturday, I believe!” I said.

“Me, too! I am available on Saturday, too!” said that Grace.

Lucille thought and thought.

“Hmm. I don’t know about Saturday,” she said. “My mommy and daddy and brother are going away for the weekend. So it’s just going to be my nanna and me.”

I jumped up and down.

“Hurray!” I said. “That will work out even better! ’Cause now we can beg your nanna with positively no interruptions!”

Just then, Lucille started to smile.

“Hey, yeah! Why didn’t
I
think of that?” she said.

I pointed at myself.

“’Cause I’m the brains of this outfit, that’s why!” I said real happy.

After that, all of us skipped around and around.

Plus me and that Grace did a high five.

’CAUSE WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE NANNA’S, OF COURSE!!!

³/
_{The Rules}

Guess what!!?! Guess what!!?!

On Friday, Lucille’s nanna called my mother!