Dads on Books

David (00:01.507)
What?

Mike (00:23.95)
And here we are. We're back.

David (00:26.48)
We are in... We are indeed! We're back and we're here and we're happy to be talking about books.

Mike (00:31.736)
Yes we are! Yay!

David (00:33.296)
Yay! So Mike, shall I just jump into to tell our folks what book we are talking about today? Although it's probably in the show notes and everything else, but I have to mention it,

Mike (00:45.922)
but I'm sure that they probably know already that we are talking about.

David (00:51.8)
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus.

Mike (00:55.296)
Stupid smelly bus. And I don't care.

David (00:57.198)
It says, Taepin. It is by Barbara Park. And the pictures are drawn by Denise Br-

Mike (01:07.458)
Denise Brunkus? Brunkus. Brunkus. There's a Brunkus among us? I don't know.

David (01:10.372)
I was thinking, I was thinking bunkus. Bunkus?

Yes, so this is a book. It's the first in the series of many many books. And Mike, I cannot for the life of me remember why we chose this one. Do you remember the origin story?

Mike (01:30.446)
No, there was not really one, I don't think. I think we just had it. We both had it. And we said, oh, well, that's a good one. We should put that on the list. So last time we were talking, we said, oh, let's do that. OK, we will.

David (01:40.038)
Mm-hmm. Yep.

David (01:47.93)
Okay, that confirms for me that there actually was an origin story. I think when we were doing, who was it? Ivy and Bean? When you first suggested Ivy and Bean, I went and found Junie B. Jones, number one.

Mike (02:00.94)
Yes, Ivy and Bean.

Mike (02:12.162)
That's right. Sorry.

David (02:13.606)
Are you my father? No, so... No!

Mike (02:16.31)
is your name Luke.

David (02:20.54)
Okay. So I think I confused one for the other, and you remember that. And I probably did it more than once, because I can do that. Yes.

Mike (02:29.044)
We all do that because yeah, lots of books lots of similar ish characters

David (02:35.748)
Exactly. So when you recommended it last week, I said, well, of course we have to do that. And let me ask you a question. This is okay. So much to say. Did you read these? Obviously not as a kid because they neither of us were kids when they came out. They're all early 90s. Yep. Something like that. Did you read these to your girls or did your girls read them?

Mike (02:40.598)
Of course. It was perfect. Yes.

Mike (02:53.39)
No, I think they came out in like the 90s, 94-ish. Yeah.

Mike (03:01.506)
My girls read them.

David (03:03.333)
Okay.

Mike (03:05.323)
Text Copyright 1992. So yes, both of my girls read them. And I think they read a few of them. The Stupid Smelly Bus is the one that I found most easily. And it doesn't look like, I found it most easily because I bought it at a used bookstore. Yeah, so we were in Worcester, Ohio.

David (03:08.102)
There you go, yep.

David (03:28.37)
Funny how that happens.

Mike (03:34.894)
uh, visiting Stella and we happened to go to a used bookstore and while I was looking for some other books, I came across Junie B. Jones and I said, Oh my gosh, I don't know if I ever found it and maybe we sold it off. So you know what, for $3, I'm just going to buy it. So got a new copy and it's fairly new. Yeah, it was.

David (03:35.049)
yeah!

David (03:44.946)
Mm-hmm.

David (03:54.15)
Nice. That was a great investment. So you found it easily. I, however, when you and I were talking last and deciding to do this book, I think I even carried my laptop around and you were probably white-knuckling it because it was making you seasick and I said, I'll find it later. Well, I went to look for it again and then again, that's okay. It was off camera, thankfully. And we didn't have the Smelly Vision on, thankfully.

Mike (04:12.844)
Yeah, I think I threw up later.

Yeah. Woo!

David (04:23.589)
And so I

Mike (04:23.819)
Neither do we have it on for this smelly, bustling incident.

David (04:28.272)
And what's funny is I said that and looked at SmellyBus and I saw the cute little illustration of our good friend Junie B. Pinching her nose. But Mike, it was yesterday that you said, or we said, how about 12.30 tomorrow? And I said, sure. And then around yesterday, around 5 p.m., I thought, I can't find the book. What am I gonna do?

Mike (04:35.17)
Juni B.

Yup.

David (04:53.082)
I went and looked in this, I went and I asked the girls, you know, if we have them, I found number two, I found number three, I found number four. And then I went and did what you're supposed to do. I went and looked again and just tweaked a little thing. And sure enough, I found number one. So I found the book and I read it. I was tweaking and I read it last night. It was a very quick read, but I have to, okay. What did you think of the book?

Mike (05:09.07)
So you were tweaking, huh? Cool.

It was.

Mike (05:20.43)
So I have to mention also, I actually read the book today. So yes, it is a very quick read. And by today, I mean one in the morning. Because 1 a.m.

David (05:28.805)
Okay.

David (05:34.098)
Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait

Mike (05:39.426)
this morning.

No, it was late last night, but technically, technically, you know, it was in the morning. So, yeah, so I read it last night very quickly and I I don't love it.

David (05:48.988)
Gotcha.

Mike (06:02.254)
I got, I was fairly annoyed with Junie. And I said Junie to annoy her.

David (06:11.63)
Yes, because you're not going to call her Junie Beatrice, although that would annoy her as well.

Mike (06:15.598)
that would annoy her as well. Michael David!

David (06:20.209)
Hahaha

Mike (06:23.276)
Ha ha ha ha ha

David (06:24.71)
I am so relieved to hear you say that because I announced to my daughters last night after saying, do you remember reading it? Did you like it? And Delaney informs me that she skipped this entire phase of these kinds of books. She went right to, you know, not young adult, but right to really long books and she was way too, exactly, Percy Jackson, et cetera. So she skipped.

Mike (06:42.274)
Okay.

Mike (06:53.218)
Mm-mm.

David (06:54.16)
these very early kind of first chapter books. And Sarah doesn't remember slash said no and Lucy was kind of iffy and I prodded and poked and it turns out she did read some of them and remembers not liking them. And okay, here we are, episode 21. I didn't like it. I'm just... Yes!

Mike (06:57.206)
Yes.

Mike (07:10.894)
we finally have something we don't like in common. Now, I will say that there is a side of this that when you start reading it and you're a kid who doesn't like to read and you read something like, I don't know, except I don't like Beatrice, I just like B and that's all. I'm almost six. Almost six is when you get to go to kindergarten.

That kind of draws, might draw in some kindergartners who aren't reading and maybe it's enough to get, I don't think it's enough to get them interested, but soon after, I think that kids might get interested in it and then once they're interested in it, there's a bunch of them to read. And for me, I think it was the, her attitude about

David (07:46.257)
Yes.

David (08:04.08)
Yes, exactly.

Mike (08:11.448)
pretty much everything, was and everyone. She's such a negative Nellie. Olsen.

David (08:12.882)
And everyone.

David (08:20.818)
That is awesome. Yes, she is. And it's all... I wrote down not liking it. That was my first note. And I wrote that early. And I didn't say I don't like it. I said not liking it. Because I thought, okay, I gotta give it a chance. And maybe later I will like it. And I can't wait to talk about when I came around. And I never did. I didn't hate it.

Mike (08:24.302)
So.

Mike (08:37.699)
Yep.

David (08:45.682)
I get the appeal and listening to you, yes I can get that. I can see how kids like it. But I didn't empathize or sympathize any of those eyes. I did not do with her.

Mike (08:58.337)
No, me neither.

David (09:00.19)
And that doesn't bother me because I can dislike a character and then like them if there's redemption. I didn't hate her, I just didn't like her. And I was looking to like the book. And also the grammar doesn't seem real. Like I have no problem when an author tries to portray a certain age realistically.

Mike (09:24.768)
and write from that character's voice in their head.

David (09:29.552)
Yes! And the late miss or Mrs. Park maybe. I just don't know. There are a lot of things that she would say. just thought, I hope if a kindergarten ever talked like that. And I was trying to remember back to when my kids talked. Do they speak like that? I don't know. Okay.

Mike (09:43.022)
I was the same.

Totally. You know, she said, hey, watch it, you dumb Jim. I'm like, is that something somebody would really say?

David (09:58.99)
Right. And we've read books far older than this. And we've read books that are dated, but they also are dated because whatever is in the book is realistic for the time in which it was written.

Mike (10:00.43)
yeah, absolutely.

Mike (10:17.25)
Right. Yeah.

David (10:18.66)
I didn't feel that I would have given this book that. Now, speaking of which, the illustrations too. There were times when I looked at it and go, I remember kids books being illustrated like this back then. Yep.

Mike (10:34.774)
Right? That's like the very first picture right before chapter one.

David (10:40.659)
Yes, the prelude. Yes.

Mike (10:42.894)
And honestly, the pictures are fine. Especially when, what's his name, William. Are you having an emergency? Yes! And he ran right into the bathroom.

David (10:47.975)
Yep.

David (10:55.378)
Yes, that's a great picture because I can even, I'm trying to flip to it, but I can see in my head. Thank you. I love when we get page numbers.

Mike (11:03.48)
Page 33. Yeah. And he has that pained look on his body.

David (11:13.414)
When you see his body shivering and you look at his legs and it totally captures what exactly is happening. Indeedly do. Or indeedly don't. Depending on your point of view. Womp womp.

Mike (11:19.55)
Exactly. Absolutalupily. Delidoo. Doot-da-doot-da-doot. I kind of, I tried to think about like why I disliked her. And I think she just comes across as being snotty. And even in the end, she doesn't seem to go anywhere.

David (11:43.228)
Mm-hmm.

David (11:49.884)
Yeah.

Mike (11:49.996)
Like she hasn't grown from the experience. And maybe that's because not enough happened to push her a little bit farther. All that really bad happened was she fell down and then had to go to the bathroom. And the bathrooms, I shouldn't tell the secret parts. But I feel like it could have

David (12:14.354)
Spoiler alert!

Mike (12:19.426)
been written a little bit better, but I get it. It's written for kids who are kindergartners who want to start reading. And maybe it's seeing like, these are, this is a girl that is like me, but is doing things that even I know are a little iffy. So, and maybe, maybe I'll try to be better. So I'm not like Junie B.

David (12:51.026)
Yes, that's a good point. And based on what you're saying too, I also am discovering another thing I didn't like about it. I was waiting as she's going to the, doing the different things in the school. And I thought, I was thinking about what is the teacher thinking? What is her mom thinking? And I thought this is gonna blow up, you know? And it should.

Mike (12:52.546)
Yeah.

Mike (13:06.186)
in the school.

Mike (13:18.39)
Right? Yeah. Yeah. Now.

David (13:21.798)
And it didn't. And so that's it? Really? Because I got nervous and that was good. I got some feelings. I got nervous. I thought she did that and she did this and she went, boy, here we go. And then it didn't happen. I was like, really? That's it? Okay. So there were just moments like that.

Mike (13:34.092)
Yeah.

Mike (13:38.666)
And it doesn't seem like they looked that hard to find her. They knew she was missing because she said she was in the closet and she heard them say something about, I lost a child.

David (13:45.404)
Mm-hmm.

David (13:52.026)
Yes! Early on. And so...

Mike (13:53.568)
and then she fell asleep or something.

David (13:57.104)
Yeah, and when you lose a child, you go and all the places where that child could be.

Mike (14:00.622)
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,

David (14:07.44)
Yes.

David (14:18.002)
It certainly is. I wanted to take a nap on a giant pallet of construction paper when I saw that drawing. Yeah, so all of that being said, there were some fun details and I did actually, there was one particular quote that I thought was just hilarious. And she basically is using her not quiet voice as an entire paragraph in all caps. And she said, yeah, right now, I just like the kind of books with pictures, but mother says when I get big.

Mike (14:22.76)
Absolutely. Yeah.

David (14:47.674)
I'm going to like the kind with just words. And then she says, and also stewed tomatoes.

Mike (14:53.294)
And also stewed

David (14:55.888)
And also, Sturgeon Meadows! And that was funny. And it was out on the field. It was a punchline. It was great. And the next sentence says, the boy I can beat up said. And that was funny too. She always calls him the boy I can beat up. And so, I don't know. Maybe, probably, who knows? But yeah. So anyway, guess there were little things that I liked, but it just...

Mike (15:11.648)
Right. Does even ever have a name? Yeah. I can't remember.

David (15:24.026)
I thought this is going to be a historic moment. 21 episodes in, I found a book that I didn't care for.

Mike (15:32.898)
Yeah, I mean, I kind of I kind of see the, you know, some some points of it and how it might be fun to a kid. But yeah, I don't I wouldn't need to read any more of these like I had to with Little House on the Prairie or the Weird School books. Yeah, which actually. yeah. Like Humphrey. I mean, those are phenomenal.

David (15:33.947)
And that's okay.

David (15:51.856)
Yeah, Humphrey. I want to read. Mm-hmm.

David (16:00.472)
Absolutely.

Mike (16:02.106)
I did think it was funny. She says a couple of times this comes up and at the end then I heard a grouchy voice. Hey, hold it Missy. It yelled. And I got very scared inside because Missy is my name when I'm in trouble. but that comes up several times and I think it's just so funny. Missy.

David (16:26.972)
Yeah that was funny.

Mike (16:31.979)
Yeah, maybe a kid would let go. yeah, they always call me that when I'm in trouble. I guess that's my in trouble name.

David (16:38.908)
Huh, I must be in trouble. And ergo, if so facto, I must be in trouble.

Mike (16:45.324)
We. So, yeah. I was gonna say, when I was, yesterday, sorry, brain fart there. Yesterday, I was not doing research on Junie B. Jones. I was flipping through my emails, you know, as you do with your flipping through.

David (16:49.222)
Yep.

David (17:06.78)
Okay.

David (17:15.09)
Hahaha

Mike (17:15.79)
And I came across a thing that was an article in the Rutgers newspaper, Rutgers College, New Jersey, and who do we know from New Jersey?

David (17:27.398)
Yeah, New Jersey.

David (17:33.618)
I don't know Bruce Spring. Wait, does Dan, does he live in New Jersey?

Mike (17:34.476)
besides Bruce Springsteen.

So Dan lives in New Jersey, I believe, and he also went to Rutgers. So I'm looking and I don't remember like where I found it, but it probably in Facebook, he might've even posted it, who knows? But I came across it and I was like, let me see how long this is and I'll read it. And it was like very, very short. So it was perfect because I have

David (17:43.526)
Okay.

David (17:56.604)
Mm-hmm.

Mike (18:09.218)
did not have much brain space. But one of the things he said in the article was, and this has, it's so funny that we decided to do this book this week, and that I read that article because he said he read this to his kids and they read it. And they loved it. And it was around that point when,

David (18:20.636)
Yeah.

Mike (18:37.474)
He decided that he wanted to write kids books, specifically.

David (18:41.862)
Wait a second, Dan Gutman was inspired by this to read kids books? I mean to write kids books?

Mike (18:46.176)
Yes. Yes.

David (18:49.414)
That is super cool.

Mike (18:50.444)
Yeah, I think he already was inspired to, I mean, he was writing already, but not really a big kid's book, you know. So he started, he took this and thought about it. And I can see kind of some of the similarities in the way she starts kind of negative. And at the beginning of the My Weird School series,

David (18:56.176)
Mm-hmm.

Mike (19:20.662)
I forget what the kid's name is now, but he's always like, I'm in third grade or something and I hate school. And I was like, I can kind of see like that. I think would hook a kid. Like, this is somebody who hates school just as much as me. Yeah. Yeah. And then you start reading and there's just funny stuff in it, but yeah. So I was just, yeah.

David (19:27.207)
Yup.

David (19:40.294)
I'm like them. Exactly. Yeah.

David (19:45.894)
Yes, but there's no redemption arc or you know to get all classical literature stuff and things. Yes. Well, I mean, you know, you can't like them all.

Mike (19:54.134)
and things.

Mike (20:01.664)
No, you really can't. It's a shame. But, you know, there are some things that could be good about it, but I didn't find any. And I did not mean it to come out that way. Yeah. No, you know, there are some things in it that I'm like, OK, I get it. But then you think, well, it should go farther. And I get it.

David (20:03.516)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Indeed.

David (20:11.789)
HAHAHAHA!

David (20:16.752)
No, ergo laughter.

David (20:29.436)
Yeah!

Mike (20:31.726)
for kindergartners and you can only give them so much. But at the same time, like you have to play to the smartest kindergartner, right?

David (20:45.554)
Hello, hello, now what does this mean for the recording? Hello, we're back. Yes, and so are you. I heard you back at Son of the Beach. Yeah, we did. We'll fix that in post. In conclusion, I owe.

Mike (20:45.624)
Son of a bitch. there. Are you back? Hi, we're back. Yes, we had some dead space probably there. What?

Indeed, we actually made it 21 minutes without saying that.

Mike (21:07.72)
And in conclusion...

David (21:08.146)
No, but think what you were saying is that it was written for kindergartners and therefore it's okay. Is that where we left off?

Mike (21:16.902)
I was saying that I know it's written for kindergartners, but you still have to play to the smartest kindergartner.

David (21:23.154)
Mm-hmm.

David (21:28.976)
Yes, and to also who is often reading these books to or with kindergarteners.

Mike (21:36.206)
Yes, and I have nowhere to go because I was just copying you. I did.

David (21:42.386)
You just want to say yes and You did but usually and means to say something afterwards. No, but yeah, we're on the same page with this book And Anne is like, excuse me. It's about me

Mike (21:52.095)
Yes, Bob?

Mike (21:59.758)
Bob and Anne. Anne and Bob? I don't know. Sorry.

David (22:02.672)
Well, I didn't even read all of the reviews and the things, because I'm clean slate David. And then when I read them afterwards...

Mike (22:11.661)
Yep.

David (22:17.222)
Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B and reading are lots of fun. A hilarious first-rate read aloud. I mean, I don't want to diss, you know, but it just wasn't for me.

Mike (22:25.902)
Right.

And you know, granted it was written in another time, long, long ago in the 20th century. 20th century? Yeah. Yeah. So, brain went la, la, la very quickly. Yeah. So, I think we can just move on from this book and figure out what we're going to do next. And,

David (22:33.904)
Yes. Yes!

in the late nineteen hundreds.

David (22:53.456)
We sure can.

Mm-hmm.

Mike (23:00.194)
We can have a David, my God, David Letterman moment.

David (23:08.71)
Ha! You're just having a David Patrick moment because you had no idea what you were talking about. What?

Mike (23:11.446)
Yes. I had two David moments at the same time. Did you see me?

David (23:19.738)
did you throw your pencil into the wind?

Mike (23:21.932)
I threw the book into the lake. We'll put the lake in and post.

David (23:25.168)
into the glass. I love it! And the skyline. that's awesome. I love it.

Mike (23:32.184)
So yeah, so it's unanimous again and we're ready to go to the next book.

David (23:41.102)
Indeed. So I have an idea for the next book, but we got to make sure there's time. I talked to my oldest daughter Delaney last night and she is ready to go into the world of Percy Jackson.

Mike (23:43.022)
Yes.

Mike (23:53.886)
Okay, well she's been to the world of Percy Jackson. We are going to the world of Percy Jackson.

David (23:57.95)
She's been in that world for a long time.

for the first time on my part and yours as well.

Mike (24:04.34)
Reading, yes, reading myself, but this is one of the books that Kim read to the girls. They would like go and take showers and while they were showering, she would sit at the door and read a book. And this was one of the ones that we read, this and Harry Potter.

David (24:14.194)
David (24:24.22)
David (24:31.119)
cool. Right.

Mike (24:31.168)
or we, I had nothing to do with it. I was not even in the room most of the time because I think it started when I was out of town on a trip. And so I came back and they're like, well, that's cool. So I know a little bit about it and I know Greeks. well, I don't know Greeks. I know Greek stories. Mythology. Exactly. And so I.

David (24:39.143)
Gotcha.

David (24:47.442)
You

Right, Greek mythology. I love it.

Mike (24:59.712)
I know a little bit about the book, so I'm not totally foreign to it.

David (25:05.106)
Okay, I know Greek mythology pretty well, and I also know what they know because we've all discussed it a lot, the girls and I, but I don't know a thing about the book. I know he's a kid in today's world and the worlds collide or something like that, okay, that's all I know, so I'm gonna clean slate it, but let me ask you a question, especially based, I think I might be right on this, but I want you, while I want you to be honest, I think you will agree.

Mike (25:12.877)
Yeah.

Mike (25:26.403)
Yes.

David (25:33.838)
I said to Delaney, you know, she's in marching band right now, freshman in high school, all this, how much time do you need to read it? And she kind of looked at me and I said, you are going to reread it, right? And she doesn't think she needs to. And I said, yeah.

Mike (25:45.854)
Hmm

Well...

Well, here's, I'm gonna actually side with her, although I don't think it would be a bad thing if she reread it, because obviously we reread everything that we do here, and it's totally beneficial. However, if she'll just have less to talk about, which will mean we talk more.

David (25:57.328)
Okay.

David (26:11.28)
Yes.

Mike (26:19.86)
and she'll get frustrated with us and then we can laugh.

Mike (26:25.558)
I'm just kidding, Delaney. Yeah.

David (26:25.722)
So, yeah, so Delaney, remember that time when I told you that Mike absolutely agrees with me and you don't need to reread it? That's why.

Mike (26:36.364)
because it would be helpful, but hey, you know what? Yeah, yeah, and it is a big book and she has a lot going on. Yeah, and maybe she can read the Cliff's notes.

David (26:39.781)
More fun.

Okay.

She does. Okay, so I will not make her reread it.

David (26:51.92)
I don't know if she knows those exist yet. I... Monarch? Yeah, is that right? Okay.

Mike (26:55.502)
What were the red ones? Monarch, that's what it was. yep. Something I learned and then forgot. And relearned. Yes, thank you.

David (27:06.098)
Yes, and relearned, and you're welcome. Hey, I've got a fun late 80s story about that. I remember, I think it was my junior year when we read all the American literature. So we read the Great Gatsby and the Scarlet Letter and all those things. And I was in a Blockbuster video. Remember them? And there was a kid in there who was trying to get a copy of Deliverance because he had an exam in English on the book the next day.

Mike (27:11.438)
Hmm

Mike (27:24.63)
Yo.

Mike (27:30.958)
Hmm

David (27:36.722)
but he wanted to watch the movie as his way of preparing for the exam. And I remember thinking lots of things and I didn't say anything and I'm still to this day proud of myself that 17 year old David did not make fun of him to his face. Yes, but we are. And hey, if you're listening out there, yeah, I didn't, how did you know his name was Eric?

Mike (27:39.07)
yeah.

Mike (27:53.218)
Yeah. To his face. And we're still talking about it. Eric.

Eric Johnson. I don't know.

David (28:05.518)
Eric, dude, man, I did judge you, I'm sorry, but I'm glad I didn't say anything. And Eric's like, that's alright bro, I just sold my company last year, I'm worth billions. That's probably what happened, but anyway. Dude, and I invented it, it doesn't even need wheels. What's up? Hey, I wanna watch Back to the Future,

Mike (28:10.722)
That's right, dude, man.

Mike (28:17.43)
I got a new skateboard too!

Mike (28:22.006)
Whoa, it's awesome. Yeah, totally gnarly.

David (28:27.056)
Totes McGotes dude. Alright, anyway, so yeah, so we'll do Percy Jackson next and we'll have Delaney who will be our second guest ever on our shoe.

Mike (28:29.526)
All right. Sweet.

Mike (28:36.77)
That is awesome. I love shoes.

David (28:39.964)
I love shoes.

Mike (28:42.348)
boy, you and your shoes. So, thanks again for listening to your two favorite dads, dads on books. Woo.

David (28:52.28)
on books! Yay! Bye y'all, thank you. We will see you, hear you, listen to you, talk at you next time.

Mike (28:58.718)
Absolutely.

David (29:01.009)
Ciao.