Barbara Park (1949 – )

1949) is an American children's literature author.

Park was not interested in becoming a writer when she was a child, a fact which she herself admits that separates her from fellow writers she has met.

As a young adult, Park did not know what she wanted to be. She remembered, however, how in high school, she had been a class clown, and that made her decide to become a children's books writer.

In 1979, her first book, Operation: Dump the Chump, was published.

Parks is well known among children for her Junie B. Jones book series, which is published by Random House publishers. She does yearly nationwide tours to meet her young readers.