Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-To-Be Best Friend Lib/E: The Used-To-Be Best Friend
Hello/Boozhoo--meet Jo Jo Makoons! Full of pride, joy, and plenty of humor, this first book in an all-new chapter book series by Dawn Quigley celebrates a spunky young Ojibwe girl who loves who she is.
Jo Jo Makoons Azure is a spirited seven-year-old who moves through the world a little differently than anyone else on her Ojibwe reservation. It always seems like her mom, her kokum (grandma), and her teacher have a lot to learn--about how good Jo Jo is at cleaning up, what makes a good rhyme, and what it means to be friendly.
Even though Jo Jo loves her #1 best friend Mimi (who is a cat), she's worried that she needs to figure out how to make more friends. Because Fern, her best friend at school, may not want to be friends anymore...
The Heartdrum imprint centers a wide range of intertribal voices, visions, and stories while welcoming all young readers, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes. In partnership with We Need Diverse Books.
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Dawn Quigley is a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, North Dakota. Both her first book in the Jo Jo Makoons series, Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend, and her debut YA novel, Apple in the Middle, were awarded American Indian Youth Literature Honors. She is a PhD education university faculty member and a former K-12 reading and English teacher, as well as an Indian Education program codirector. You can find her online at dawnquigley.com.
" A joyful book about growing up Native in a loving community--not to be missed."
-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)""Quigley adeptly creates strong classroom scenes that convey an inclusive student body's realistic dynamic and an endearing, assured seven-year-old protagonist who appreciates her cultural identity."
-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)""First Nations theater artist Jennifer Bobiwash captures the enthusiastic voice of Jo Jo Makoons in her lively narration...Bobiwash's youthful voice conveys Jo Jo's bold personality, her creative ways of approaching problems, and the ups and downs she experiences while navigating friendships and learning in first grade."
-- "AudioFile"
