My 8-year-old daughter, Madison, saw this book with its wire binding and durable, easy-to-read pages and snatched it right out of my hands. A good sign. In fact, she was so attached, I had to read at night, after her bedtime. A really good sign.

Many children know that Junie B. could be considered an expert in the "going back to school department." After all, she's conquered kindergarten and first grade already. In Barbara Park's latest rendition of Junie B., she shares her vast knowledge with returning students in "Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School."

Park delivers silly pictures and ideas about school in the expected Junie B.-style. Best of all, children are encouraged to share their own advice. Each colorful chapter includes a space for children to draw, write and place stickers (found at the back of the book).

The chapters have tabs, making pages easy to flip back and forth. Chapter headings range from "Getting Started" to "Getting in Trouble" to "Getting Bossed Around."

My favorite chapter was called "Getting There." This "how-to" section covers school transportation. Here, Junie B. reveals how much she hates walking to school, and loves taking the bus. I laughed out loud when she described her misinterpretation of carpools. The picture accompanying this section is hilarious and exactly what a 6-year-old might imagine a carpool to be.

Most importantly, Junie B.'s guide really taps into how youngsters feel about school. Madison really connected with the advice Junie B. gave about grades. In this section, Junie B. described backpacks containing bad grades as heavy as elephants, hippos or pigs. And backpacks with good grades felt light -- as if they held clouds, balloons or "flutterflies."

Junie B. fans will enjoy this book, filled her usual honest and silly humor. Her stick-figure drawings are absolutely hilarious. It should be said that Madison is a picky reader and this book made reading fun for her again -- just in time for school.

Amy Hanek is a Franklin County freelance writer.