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The Planet of Junior Brown is a 1971 novel by Virginia Hamilton. 'The Planet of Junior Brown' was rename Junior's Groove for 1997 Canadian film directed by Clement Virgo.

Plot

The Planet of Junior Brown is  story about shy and 262 pound kid name Junior Brown who feels comfort from his friend Buddy Clark. Junior and Buddy escapes from attending class into a secret passageway in the basement of school with the janitor Mr.Pool, who used to be a school teacher for fifteen years. In the basement they design a solar system with an addition of a ten planet called Junior Brown. When the two boys leave the school building they spent time on the river banks of the Hudson river throwing rocks in the cold weather  until it’s time for Junior to  leave to attend is piano lesson with Ms. Peebs every Friday. Buddy  follows him to  piano instructor house and waits outside until his lesson is over. Junior is not able to participate in taking in any piano lesson at Ms.Peebs house because she said they she has destroyed her piano. He finds out that he can not play because the relative living with Ms.Peebs is very sickly  and dangerous. So to practice the piano lesson he beats the melody and harmonies to Ms.Peebs. When Junior leaves to meet Buddy outside he tells him of the crazy relative living with Ms.Peebs making him unable to take lessons and tells him that next Friday when he has his piano lesson he has to come inside because he feels like he can get rid of the relative living in the house. Junior also plans to have Buddy over to his house on Wednesday night.

What Junior doesn’t know is that his friend Buddy is a homeless boy trying to survive in the streets and now has to take care groups of young boys in his  Tomorrow Billy’s planet. When they go back to school after the weekend is over Mr.Pool and boys are caught. Mr. Roundtree the vice principal needs to talk to Junior and Buddy family to tell them their children have been missing school for 2 months. Buddy tells Mr. Roundtree that Doum his employer for the newsstand is his uncle and Doum takes the fall for him. When it’s time to call Junella Brown Junior mom, she doesn’t answer the phone but he trust that Junior will tell her to meet him at the school tomorrow morning. The next morning is now Friday and Junior knows he can’t tell his mom because he won’t be able to attend his pianos lesson so before she wakes up he packs up his suitcase and runs to the school basement to wait for Buddy, and eventually will go home with Buddy. Buddy goes with Junior to Ms. Peebs house and realize the relative Junior is talking about is someone Junior has made up in his head. They go back to school with relative with them and  Buddy tells Mr. Pool about the crazy things Junior sees. Mr. Pool tells Buddy that Junior needs to go the hospital so he can get help for his condition. Buddy says no Junior can’t go because he knows mental hospital wouldn't be a nice place and it destroy his musical talents. Buddy decides to take of Junior by bring him to his Tomorrow Billy’s planet.

Characters

• Junior Brown: A musical talent 262 pound teen who is not mentally stable
• Buddy Clark: Junior’s friend who happens to be homeless taking care of young boys in Tomorrow Billy’s planet and also takes care of Junior
• Mr. Pool: The janitor that escapes with them to the basement to work on a solar system
• Ms. Peebs: Junior’s piano instructor
• Junella Brown: Junior’s asthmatic sickly mother
• Franklin: Young boy of the Tomorrow Billy’s
• Nightman: Freshly new to Tomorrow Billy’s lifestyle
• Doum: Buddy’s employer of the newsstand
• Mr. Roundtree:  Vice Principal of Junior and Buddy school

Critical Reception

In October of 1971 New York Times critic and famous author Alice Walker writes “ There are interesting ideas in “The Planet of Junior Brown” but the book itself is surprisingly dull.” Walker and many other critics find the novel  long and the boys bond of friendship to have a little bit of a  disconnect, making it a difficulty read. Barbara Bader of Horn Book Magazine state  The Planet of Junior Brown “Yes the story revolves around Junior Brown but it's Buddy Clark a homeless in the world at twelve or thirteen, who turns the wheels, this way and that. Bader goes on to say the book is sitting in the shelves of multiple  libraries.

References

Bader, Barbara. "The Planet Of Junior Brown." Horn Book Magazine 91.1 (2015): 47-50. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2015By, ALICE W. "The Planet of Junior Brown." New York Times (1923-Current file): 1. Oct 24 1971. ProQuest. Web. 1 Dec. 2015

External links

• The Planet of Junior Brown on IMDb