Missing the Point, Party of a zillion, your table is ready.

baconsmom

Grammar Girl Goes After Beloved Children's Books

I love good grammar as much as the next self-righteous college graduate. But as a writer and, more importantly, reader, I’m willing to forgive in the name of good characters and stories that sing.Not so for Grammar Girl, whose popular podcasts on how to use apostrophes, quote marks and words like “further” and “farther” got her a book deal and more than 25,000 followers on Facebook. In her most recent FB status update, Grammar Girl goes after the beloved series of books starring Junie B. Jones, a sometimes insecure, sometimes overzealous — often grammatically challenged — 6-year-old girl created by Barbara Parks.Here’s what Grammar Girl wrote on FB:Is anyone else horrified by the “Junie B. Jones” books? They’re written for kids, are very popular, and are filled with intentional language errors. Here are some example sentences:I RUNNED all around in a tizzy.
After that I QUICK grabbed the leash.I was literally speechless when my friend showed them to me.

At least 85 people spoke with their thumbs and agreed. Others challenged the syntax maven and defended Parks and the imaginary Jones. It seems the books are off-putting to many English teachers, who think their profession was reason enough to be turned off.

The www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/fashion/26junie.html">New York Times talked to parents a couple of years ago, one who forbid Junie B. in their homes, others who embraced her full force. I’ll admit when I first read the books, I wasn’t comfortable with Junie referencing her delicate classmate as “crybaby William.” She also calls people “stupidhead.” But Parks doesn’t give us Junie B. as a role model; rather, she’s a kid struggling to figure out her world.

As the keeper of English grammar’s flame, Grammar Girl is needlessly horrified. Linguists (oh, and parents!) have long know that even if the kid says “runned,” eventually, native English speakers will make the switch to “ran” with zero instruction.

Junie B. Jones makes a lot of kids laugh, get in touch with their feelings and — biggest smartypants coup of all — get interested in reading.

Back off the Junie B. Jones, Grammar Girl. Good literature can be kind of messy.

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I LOVE Junie B. I think they're brilliantly written books, because they're well-constructed and in the voice of Junie herself - a little kid. Have you ever heard little kids talk? Yeah. 

 

baconsmom

Grammar Girl Goes After Beloved Children's Books

I love good grammar as much as the next self-righteous college graduate. But as a writer and, more importantly, reader, I’m willing to forgive in the name of good characters and stories that sing.Not so for Grammar Girl, whose popular podcasts on how to use apostrophes, quote marks and words like “further” and “farther” got her a book deal and more than 25,000 followers on Facebook. In her most recent FB status update, Grammar Girl goes after the beloved series of books starring Junie B. Jones, a sometimes insecure, sometimes overzealous — often grammatically challenged — 6-year-old girl created by Barbara Parks.Here’s what Grammar Girl wrote on FB:Is anyone else horrified by the “Junie B. Jones” books? They’re written for kids, are very popular, and are filled with intentional language errors. Here are some example sentences:I RUNNED all around in a tizzy.
After that I QUICK grabbed the leash.I was literally speechless when my friend showed them to me.At least 85 people spoke with their thumbs and agreed. Others challenged the syntax maven and defended Parks and the imaginary Jones. It seems the books are off-putting to many English teachers, who think their profession was reason enough to be turned off.The www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/fashion/26junie.html">New York Times talked to parents a couple of years ago, one who forbid Junie B. in their homes, others who embraced her full force. I’ll admit when I first read the books, I wasn’t comfortable with Junie referencing her delicate classmate as “crybaby William.” She also calls people “stupidhead.” But Parks doesn’t give us Junie B. as a role model; rather, she’s a kid struggling to figure out her world.As the keeper of English grammar’s flame, Grammar Girl is needlessly horrified. Linguists (oh, and parents!) have long know that even if the kid says “runned,” eventually, native English speakers will make the switch to “ran” with zero instruction.Junie B. Jones makes a lot of kids laugh, get in touch with their feelings and — biggest smartypants coup of all — get interested in reading.Back off the Junie B. Jones, Grammar Girl. Good literature can be kind of messy.-------------------------------------------I LOVE Junie B. I think they're brilliantly written books, because they're well-constructed and in the voice of Junie herself - a little kid. Have you ever heard little kids talk? Yeah.  

TheDuckis

Junie B is my favorite.

However, when I was a reading mentor the 2nd and 3rd graders I worked with did have some trouble with them. They kept asking why so many of the words were wrong, and had a difficult time grasping the concept of voice.

That's not to say I think they shouldn't be written that way. It ended up being an interesting lesson for the kids.

DG1

Missing the point indeed.  Although I admit to cringing lately when I read Cookie Monster say "Me eat cookie!" 

I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea to model good grammar on the regular.  In fact, I've often worried that the boys will pick up MIL's hillbilly grammar ("she don't know any better," and the like).

baconsmom

Maybe that's why I'm not concerned by them, DG - Bacon learned to talk by listening to me, after all.  

*Barbie*

let's hope these same English teachers don't get their hands on any Shakespeare - imagine their horror at "olde english"

nicoleg1982

I don't understand how this is worse than Dr. Seuss' wump, woozles and wockets.