Book Review: The Junior Party Book

A Book You Can Buy From Me

Book Title: The Junior Party Book

 
Author: Bernice Wells Carlson

Date: 1939, 1948

Publisher: Abingdon Cokesbury

ISBN: none

Length: 160 pages

Illustrations: drawings and diagrams by Magdalena Tolson

Quote: "Any time is a good time for a party."

The Junior Party Book suggests games, decorations, and menus for children's parties organized around 24 themes: New Year, snow, Valentines, George Washington's birthday, St. Patrick's Day, Peter Rabbit, Humpty Dumpty, cowboys, springtime, detectives, Carnival, Robin Hood, hobos, sailors, Mother Goose, American Indians, circus, farmers, Daniel Boone, Halloween, pirates, dolls, frontier, and Christmas.

 

Theme invitations are suggested for each party plan as "not necessary, but fun" cutting/pasting/printing practice for children. Decorations are encouraged, but young readers are warned to "consult your mother."

Several games are basically the same games "given a new turn" to fit the themes, since "you can pin a tail on a donkey, or you can pin the stem on a pumpkin, a hat on a sailor, or a sail on a boat." Mrs. Carlson recommended "a variety of games," on the assumption that children's parties would include all the kids in a class or on a city block, to "give everyone a chance...and games that depend on luck."

Although the book is written to be read by middle school students, some of the party themes are worked out with younger children in mind. "What about a party for my little brother? Watch little children and see how they play...no competitive games for little children." Preschool theme party plans feature tag games, bubble blowing, and throwing party favors that turn out to be elaborately snipped paper wads. Teen parties feature competitive word-find games, guessing games, and musical chairs.

After a straightforward prose introduction, Mrs. Carlson shifted into a fictional narrative description of each party. "'I'd like to give a New Year's party,' said twelve-year-old Jane," and so on. I don't know how many children find this distracting. I remember finding it distracting as a child. I liked the shorter, more straightforward summary of only twelve parties Mrs. Carlson contributed to the Childcraft Encyclopedia better than I liked this book.

I don't hear or read so much about children's parties these days. Maybe liability insurance policies have turned parents off the whole idea. I hope not, because hosting children's parties was the way my generation learned to plan alcohol-free parties for teenagers and adults. The Junior Party Book is guaranteed to give even shy children, even children who mature outside the average pace, enough ideas that with practice any child can be a successful host.

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