Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend [Paperback]

American Indian Youth Literature Award: Middle Grade Honor Book!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 befriendly.

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 notwantto be friends anymore…

Contemporary Native characters and community values are at the heart of Jo Jo's everyday adventures on her reservation! A glossary and author's note can be found at the end of every installment of this award-winning, Native-authored chapter book series.

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.

A fun and fanciful story...Jo Jo Makoons, the first in a series, provides Indigenous children an opportunity to see themselves in books and teaches non-Indigenous children more about Ojibwe culture. -Quill & Quire

Jo Jo's magnetic personality and liberal humor should endear her immediately to readers struggling to sort out their own worlds--she is sure to be young readers' new 'book best friend.' -Shelf Awareness (starred review)

In eight brief yet eventful chapters, we follow this seven-year-old Everygirl through a relatl£»