ALA Booklist (Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

Nervous as she enters her first-grade classroom, Junie B. Jones is overjoyed to see Lucille, her best friend from kindergarten. Lucille soon squashes her exuberance quite flat, declaring, You and I can still be friends, Junie B. Just not on a regular basis. Soon a new problem arises, when Junie B. gets glasses for the first time but feels reluctant to put them on in class. With unexpected support from new friends, however, she gains acceptance, even with her new purple glasses, and begins to think that she might like school after all. The inclusion of passages from Junie's school journal doesn't quite ring true. She is after all, a beginning first-grader. Still, Junie herself is completely convincing. Just as fresh and funny as the previous books in the series, this one, taking Junie B. into the elementary grades, opens up new possibilities for the popular series. To be illustrated.

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

In Graduation, Junie B. drips grape juice on her cap and gown and tries to hide the stains; in First Grader she deals with a new class and new purple glasses. Although Junie B. is getting a little long in the tooth for her trademark cutesy baby talk and overweening boisterousness, her new challenges will resonate with her many fans. Humorous black-and-white drawings illustrate both books. [Review covers Junie B., First Grader (at Last!) and Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl.]

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Starting first grade proves to be a challenge for Junie B. Jones, Park's enduring, irrepressible heroine. Junie B. is having a tough time. Not only is she nervous about starting first grade, but on her very first day of school, Lucille, Junie B.'s best friend from kindergarten, is distinctly aloof. Lucille coolly informs Junie B. that they have "already been best friends" and that now, in the name of fairness, "it's time for Camille and Chenille to get a turn." Then Grace, who sat next to Junie B. on the bus every day last year, throws her over for new friend Bobbi Jean Piper, which causes Junie B. to announce that her "bestest friends are dropping like flies." Throw in "Blabber-lips May" the obnoxious tattletale in the next seat, and it looks to Junie B. like "first grade is a flop." But Junie B.'s real problem is that she can't see the blackboard. Luckily, her on-the-ball teacher diagnoses her problem right away, sending her to the school nurse for an eye exam. With good-natured wit, Parks demystifies the process of getting glasses, also paying attention to the embarrassment and self-consciousness kids often feel when they show up at school with a new pair of specs. Although not the most amusing book in the series, fans will be happy to know that despite Junie B.'s ascent to the rigors of first grade, Park's feisty, funny heroine retains her trademark use of language, mirthful malapropisms, and essential larger-than-life personality. (Fiction. 6-9)</p>

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-While first grade offers a whole year of exciting possibilities for Junie B., things get off to a confusing start. Feeling tentative about her new teacher, she renames him Mr. Scary. Her last year's best friend now has two new best friends and her old bus pal has a new buddy. Then, Junie's teacher discovers that she needs glasses. Now that is something to worry about. "What if Room One laughs their head off at me? What if I look like a goonie bird and no one wants to be my friend?" However, her classmates, who already agree that twins with rhyming names, a boy with a spiky gel hairdo, and bilingual Jos are fascinating, determine that Junie B. and her purple glasses are definitely cool. As always, Park is in touch with what the kids know and how they feel. A satisfying read, especially for fans.-Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.