Why Did I Write the Book
Jack David Dean

My first inspiration for the book came from being frustrated over how my son was being treated when he rode the bus to school. He was only in kindergarten at the time and was being picked on by a sixth grade boy. The whole situation troubled Elijah terribly. I wanted to write a book showing how a boy dealt with being picked on. Johnny is a self-assured kid who can stand on his own. He doesn’t need anyone to tell him he has value. Therefore, when kids pick on him he doesn’t really care since he knows who he is and is not reliant on the opinion of other kids. This is an important lesson I tried to teach Elijah.

I talked to my son about his own importance and how much his family loves him and that God created him with a purpose in life. Elijah began to see that what other people say may not always be fun to hear but what really matters is his own opinion about himself. Johnny Jung is this kind of boy. Some mean boys start teasing him and calling him “Johnny Junkpile” as a way to make fun of him. Not only does it not bother him to be called Johnny Junkpile he thinks it’s funny how they got the original way his last name is pronounced completely wrong. Johnny even comes to take on the new name as a kind of nickname. The boys saw a bunch of junk behind Johnny’s house and then started calling him Johnny Junkpile. But Johnny knows the stuff behind his house is not junk at all and the boys are making themselves look silly by not seeing that.

I also wanted to show kids that fighting back is not the only way to solve confrontation. Johnny is perfectly capable of fighting; he is a strong kid and knows how to fight. However, at the urging of his father, he chooses not to fight. By being confident in his own abilities and not stooping to what the other boys are doing Johnny takes away the power the bullies have over him.

I also wanted to show my readers that being smart and quiet is not a bad thing. So often the biggest, strongest and loudest people get all the attention in school and in the world. Johnny is a smart and quiet boy and is perfectly happy being that way.

I hope this helps you understand why I wrote Johnny Junkpile. You may want to talk some of the things I mentioned over with your parents, I’m sure they would love to speak with you about what is going on. As always feel free to send me an email if you want to comment (please tell your parents before you do).

Read a book today and have fun!