JUNIE B. JONES AND THE STUPID SMELLY BUS
From the Junie B. Jones series
by Barbara Park & illustrated by Denise Brunkus
In the ``First Stepping Stone'' series, a genuinely funny, easily read story. Junie didn't like riding the bus to her first day of kindergarten, so when it's time to go home she hides in a supply closet until everyone but the janitor has left. She has a fine time exploring the contents of her teacher's desk, the school library, and the nurse's office—until she has to go to the bathroom and finds it locked. Only when Junie calls 911 to report this emergency is she located by the frantic adults who've been searching for her. Junie's abrupt, ungrammatical narration sounds just like the feisty young lady seen in the b&w drawings, with droopy socks, wispy hair, and spit-shined (literally—she licks them) shoes. Kids may need some persuading to read about a younger child, but they're sure to enjoy the understated humor. (Fiction. 6-9)