Obituary:Park, Barbara
gently passed from this life on November 15, 2013. Born on April 21, 1947, she was a proud "Grammy," a devoted mother, and a perfect match for her husband of 44 years. She was hysterically funny, strong in her opinions, and a great source for advice to her family and many friends. She grew up in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and spent her summers at the Jersey shore with her parents and brother. She met her husband Richard at the University of Alabama, where they both attended. They married in 1969 and moved to Arizona five years later. In her early 30's, despite having never shown any prior interest in writing much of anything, she decided to try to write children's books. She ended up becoming one of the most prolific children's authors in the world, with nearly 55 million books in print. She was a dedicated philanthropist and contributed to numerous causes. Most recently, she founded Sisters In Survival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to offering financial assistance to ovarian cancer patients. She is survived by her husband Richard, her sons Steven and David, her daughter-in-law Renee, her grandchildren Calvin and Nathan, her brother Brooke and numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, and to honor her courageous battle with ovarian cancer, the family requests that donations be made to Sisters In Survival (www.sistersinsurvival.org), 10751 N.
Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Ste. 104,Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
Published in The Arizona Republic on Nov.
Bio:
Park died Friday after a long battle with ovarian cancer, according to a statement released Sunday by Random House Books for Young Readers. She was a longtime resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., where she lived with her husband, Richard, and raised two sons.
Starting in 1992, Park wrote more than 30 illustrated chapter books about the smart-mouthed girl with an ungrammatical opinion of everybody - her parents, her teachers, her friends and her classmate and enemy for life, May, who is so mean she won't even acknowledge Junie's middle initial (which stands for Beatrice: "Only I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all," Junie warned).
The books' titles alone were windows into Junie's slangy mind: "Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth," "Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus," "Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday." Junie was stuck in kindergarten for years before Park advanced her to the next class, starting with Book 18 and "Junie B., First Grader (at last!)."
"I don't have a problem being 6 years old in my head," Park once explained during an interview with barnesandnoble.com. "It's almost embarrassing; if I'm talking to librarians or teachers who know my books and they say, `How do you do this?' It's not a stretch.
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone. Facebook
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone.
"I find that when I'm struggling to think of how a 6-year-old would feel about something, I just have to go right down to the common denominator, find the simplest way that you can look at an object or a problem, and not muck it up with all of the stuff that adults do and over-analyze," she said.
Park's books sold more than 55 million copies just in North America, according to Random House, and the series was adapted into a popular musical theater production. Junie B. inspired much laughter among families, and a few frowns. Parents and educators occasionally objected to Jones' personalized language and cheeky ways, worrying that she was a bad influence on her fans. The series has appeared on the American Library Association's list of "challenged" books.
Born Barbara Tidswell in Mount Holly, N.J., Park remembered herself as a troublemaker who knew well the path to the principal's office. She had actually planned to become a teacher, majoring in education at the University of Alabama, but a year of being a student teacher for 7th graders convinced her that any further classroom experiences should be confined to paper.
Park would cite "The Catcher in the Rye" as an early literary influence and also credited the books of Judy Blume with inspiring her to write for children, and to make the stories funny. On Sunday, Blume praised Park for getting kids to read and recalled that some would confuse her with the title character of Park's books.
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds. Facebook
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds.
"I'm Judy B. and lot of kids just assumed I was Junie B. Jones and had written the books," Blume told The Associated Press. "I'd always say, `I didn't write them, but I wish I had.'"
Besides the "Junie B. Jones" series, Park also wrote picture books, novels for middle school students and even a Hallmark greeting card, an "insulting" birthday message about getting old. She was a frequent winner of the Children's Choice Award who never did bother to write a novel for adults.
"I'm not actually sure I'm grown-up enough for grown-up books," she once explained.
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gently passed from this life on November 15, 2013. Born on April 21, 1947, she was a proud "Grammy," a devoted mother, and a perfect match for her husband of 44 years. She was hysterically funny, strong in her opinions, and a great source for advice to her family and many friends. She grew up in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and spent her summers at the Jersey shore with her parents and brother. She met her husband Richard at the University of Alabama, where they both attended. They married in 1969 and moved to Arizona five years later. In her early 30's, despite having never shown any prior interest in writing much of anything, she decided to try to write children's books. She ended up becoming one of the most prolific children's authors in the world, with nearly 55 million books in print. She was a dedicated philanthropist and contributed to numerous causes. Most recently, she founded Sisters In Survival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to offering financial assistance to ovarian cancer patients. She is survived by her husband Richard, her sons Steven and David, her daughter-in-law Renee, her grandchildren Calvin and Nathan, her brother Brooke and numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, and to honor her courageous battle with ovarian cancer, the family requests that donations be made to Sisters In Survival (www.sistersinsurvival.org), 10751 N.
Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Ste. 104,Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
Published in The Arizona Republic on Nov.
Bio:
Park died Friday after a long battle with ovarian cancer, according to a statement released Sunday by Random House Books for Young Readers. She was a longtime resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., where she lived with her husband, Richard, and raised two sons.
Starting in 1992, Park wrote more than 30 illustrated chapter books about the smart-mouthed girl with an ungrammatical opinion of everybody - her parents, her teachers, her friends and her classmate and enemy for life, May, who is so mean she won't even acknowledge Junie's middle initial (which stands for Beatrice: "Only I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all," Junie warned).
The books' titles alone were windows into Junie's slangy mind: "Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth," "Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus," "Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday." Junie was stuck in kindergarten for years before Park advanced her to the next class, starting with Book 18 and "Junie B., First Grader (at last!)."
"I don't have a problem being 6 years old in my head," Park once explained during an interview with barnesandnoble.com. "It's almost embarrassing; if I'm talking to librarians or teachers who know my books and they say, `How do you do this?' It's not a stretch.
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone. Facebook
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone.
"I find that when I'm struggling to think of how a 6-year-old would feel about something, I just have to go right down to the common denominator, find the simplest way that you can look at an object or a problem, and not muck it up with all of the stuff that adults do and over-analyze," she said.
Park's books sold more than 55 million copies just in North America, according to Random House, and the series was adapted into a popular musical theater production. Junie B. inspired much laughter among families, and a few frowns. Parents and educators occasionally objected to Jones' personalized language and cheeky ways, worrying that she was a bad influence on her fans. The series has appeared on the American Library Association's list of "challenged" books.
Born Barbara Tidswell in Mount Holly, N.J., Park remembered herself as a troublemaker who knew well the path to the principal's office. She had actually planned to become a teacher, majoring in education at the University of Alabama, but a year of being a student teacher for 7th graders convinced her that any further classroom experiences should be confined to paper.
Park would cite "The Catcher in the Rye" as an early literary influence and also credited the books of Judy Blume with inspiring her to write for children, and to make the stories funny. On Sunday, Blume praised Park for getting kids to read and recalled that some would confuse her with the title character of Park's books.
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds. Facebook
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds.
"I'm Judy B. and lot of kids just assumed I was Junie B. Jones and had written the books," Blume told The Associated Press. "I'd always say, `I didn't write them, but I wish I had.'"
Besides the "Junie B. Jones" series, Park also wrote picture books, novels for middle school students and even a Hallmark greeting card, an "insulting" birthday message about getting old. She was a frequent winner of the Children's Choice Award who never did bother to write a novel for adults.
"I'm not actually sure I'm grown-up enough for grown-up books," she once explained.
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Obituary:Park, Barbara
gently passed from this life on November 15, 2013. Born on April 21, 1947, she was a proud "Grammy," a devoted mother, and a perfect match for her husband of 44 years. She was hysterically funny, strong in her opinions, and a great source for advice to her family and many friends. She grew up in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and spent her summers at the Jersey shore with her parents and brother. She met her husband Richard at the University of Alabama, where they both attended. They married in 1969 and moved to Arizona five years later. In her early 30's, despite having never shown any prior interest in writing much of anything, she decided to try to write children's books. She ended up becoming one of the most prolific children's authors in the world, with nearly 55 million books in print. She was a dedicated philanthropist and contributed to numerous causes. Most recently, she founded Sisters In Survival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to offering financial assistance to ovarian cancer patients. She is survived by her husband Richard, her sons Steven and David, her daughter-in-law Renee, her grandchildren Calvin and Nathan, her brother Brooke and numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, and to honor her courageous battle with ovarian cancer, the family requests that donations be made to Sisters In Survival (www.sistersinsurvival.org), 10751 N.
Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Ste. 104,Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
Published in The Arizona Republic on Nov.
Bio:
Park died Friday after a long battle with ovarian cancer, according to a statement released Sunday by Random House Books for Young Readers. She was a longtime resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., where she lived with her husband, Richard, and raised two sons.
Starting in 1992, Park wrote more than 30 illustrated chapter books about the smart-mouthed girl with an ungrammatical opinion of everybody - her parents, her teachers, her friends and her classmate and enemy for life, May, who is so mean she won't even acknowledge Junie's middle initial (which stands for Beatrice: "Only I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all," Junie warned).
The books' titles alone were windows into Junie's slangy mind: "Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth," "Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus," "Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday." Junie was stuck in kindergarten for years before Park advanced her to the next class, starting with Book 18 and "Junie B., First Grader (at last!)."
"I don't have a problem being 6 years old in my head," Park once explained during an interview with barnesandnoble.com. "It's almost embarrassing; if I'm talking to librarians or teachers who know my books and they say, `How do you do this?' It's not a stretch.
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone. Facebook
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone.
"I find that when I'm struggling to think of how a 6-year-old would feel about something, I just have to go right down to the common denominator, find the simplest way that you can look at an object or a problem, and not muck it up with all of the stuff that adults do and over-analyze," she said.
Park's books sold more than 55 million copies just in North America, according to Random House, and the series was adapted into a popular musical theater production. Junie B. inspired much laughter among families, and a few frowns. Parents and educators occasionally objected to Jones' personalized language and cheeky ways, worrying that she was a bad influence on her fans. The series has appeared on the American Library Association's list of "challenged" books.
Born Barbara Tidswell in Mount Holly, N.J., Park remembered herself as a troublemaker who knew well the path to the principal's office. She had actually planned to become a teacher, majoring in education at the University of Alabama, but a year of being a student teacher for 7th graders convinced her that any further classroom experiences should be confined to paper.
Park would cite "The Catcher in the Rye" as an early literary influence and also credited the books of Judy Blume with inspiring her to write for children, and to make the stories funny. On Sunday, Blume praised Park for getting kids to read and recalled that some would confuse her with the title character of Park's books.
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds. Facebook
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds.
"I'm Judy B. and lot of kids just assumed I was Junie B. Jones and had written the books," Blume told The Associated Press. "I'd always say, `I didn't write them, but I wish I had.'"
Besides the "Junie B. Jones" series, Park also wrote picture books, novels for middle school students and even a Hallmark greeting card, an "insulting" birthday message about getting old. She was a frequent winner of the Children's Choice Award who never did bother to write a novel for adults.
"I'm not actually sure I'm grown-up enough for grown-up books," she once explained.
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gently passed from this life on November 15, 2013. Born on April 21, 1947, she was a proud "Grammy," a devoted mother, and a perfect match for her husband of 44 years. She was hysterically funny, strong in her opinions, and a great source for advice to her family and many friends. She grew up in Mount Holly, New Jersey, and spent her summers at the Jersey shore with her parents and brother. She met her husband Richard at the University of Alabama, where they both attended. They married in 1969 and moved to Arizona five years later. In her early 30's, despite having never shown any prior interest in writing much of anything, she decided to try to write children's books. She ended up becoming one of the most prolific children's authors in the world, with nearly 55 million books in print. She was a dedicated philanthropist and contributed to numerous causes. Most recently, she founded Sisters In Survival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to offering financial assistance to ovarian cancer patients. She is survived by her husband Richard, her sons Steven and David, her daughter-in-law Renee, her grandchildren Calvin and Nathan, her brother Brooke and numerous in-laws, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, and to honor her courageous battle with ovarian cancer, the family requests that donations be made to Sisters In Survival (www.sistersinsurvival.org), 10751 N.
Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Ste. 104,Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
Published in The Arizona Republic on Nov.
Bio:
Park died Friday after a long battle with ovarian cancer, according to a statement released Sunday by Random House Books for Young Readers. She was a longtime resident of Scottsdale, Ariz., where she lived with her husband, Richard, and raised two sons.
Starting in 1992, Park wrote more than 30 illustrated chapter books about the smart-mouthed girl with an ungrammatical opinion of everybody - her parents, her teachers, her friends and her classmate and enemy for life, May, who is so mean she won't even acknowledge Junie's middle initial (which stands for Beatrice: "Only I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all," Junie warned).
The books' titles alone were windows into Junie's slangy mind: "Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth," "Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus," "Junie B. Jones and That Meanie Jim's Birthday." Junie was stuck in kindergarten for years before Park advanced her to the next class, starting with Book 18 and "Junie B., First Grader (at last!)."
"I don't have a problem being 6 years old in my head," Park once explained during an interview with barnesandnoble.com. "It's almost embarrassing; if I'm talking to librarians or teachers who know my books and they say, `How do you do this?' It's not a stretch.
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone. Facebook
Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series about a smart-mouthed girl sold more than 55 million copies in North America alone.
"I find that when I'm struggling to think of how a 6-year-old would feel about something, I just have to go right down to the common denominator, find the simplest way that you can look at an object or a problem, and not muck it up with all of the stuff that adults do and over-analyze," she said.
Park's books sold more than 55 million copies just in North America, according to Random House, and the series was adapted into a popular musical theater production. Junie B. inspired much laughter among families, and a few frowns. Parents and educators occasionally objected to Jones' personalized language and cheeky ways, worrying that she was a bad influence on her fans. The series has appeared on the American Library Association's list of "challenged" books.
Born Barbara Tidswell in Mount Holly, N.J., Park remembered herself as a troublemaker who knew well the path to the principal's office. She had actually planned to become a teacher, majoring in education at the University of Alabama, but a year of being a student teacher for 7th graders convinced her that any further classroom experiences should be confined to paper.
Park would cite "The Catcher in the Rye" as an early literary influence and also credited the books of Judy Blume with inspiring her to write for children, and to make the stories funny. On Sunday, Blume praised Park for getting kids to read and recalled that some would confuse her with the title character of Park's books.
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds. Facebook
Barbara Park won several awards for her best-selling 'Junie B. Jones' serie, although parents and educators worried about their influence on young minds.
"I'm Judy B. and lot of kids just assumed I was Junie B. Jones and had written the books," Blume told The Associated Press. "I'd always say, `I didn't write them, but I wish I had.'"
Besides the "Junie B. Jones" series, Park also wrote picture books, novels for middle school students and even a Hallmark greeting card, an "insulting" birthday message about getting old. She was a frequent winner of the Children's Choice Award who never did bother to write a novel for adults.
"I'm not actually sure I'm grown-up enough for grown-up books," she once explained.
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Take 2 tablets, call in morning . . .
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