Junie B. controversee. (Heh.*)

From the NYT:

But more than a few parents have taken issue with Junie B., as she is called. Their disagreement is a pint-size version of the lingering education battle between advocates of phonics, who believe children should be taught proper spelling and grammar from the outset, and those who favor whole language, a literacy method that accepts misspellings and other errors as long as children are engaged in reading and writing.

Okay, personally, I'm not a huge fan of the books.  Personally.  Like, I personally don't like reading them.  They make my eyes cross.

But this part made me sad:

The series has been banned in Lewis and Susan Bartell’s home in Old Westbury, N.Y.

“My dad doesn’t like the grammar,” said the Bartells’s youngest, Mollie, 9. “And I guess that’s important, because maybe when you grow up and you’re at work and you say, ‘I runned,’ people will get annoyed at you.”

Awwwww.  Totally entertaining picture of some office worker out there talking like Junie B. Jones aside, it's sad that she seems to think that we turn into exactly what we read.  (If we did, I'd be in big trouble.)

And, hey, look -- Fuse was quoted.  She's so famous.

[Later:  More on this from J.L. Bell.]

*I didn't mangle it nearly enough, though.