CCBC Booklists

CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

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The Used-to-Be Best Friend (Jo Jo Makoons, #1)

by Dawn Quigley

CCBC Review:

Jo Jo is an exuberant seven-year-old who’s attending first grade on her Ojibwe reservation. She considers her cat, Mimi, her number-one best friend, while Fern is her best school friend. But lately Fern has been sitting with other kids at lunchtime, making Jo Jo feel less secure at school. Her kokum tells her she doesn’t have to be friends with everyone, but she should try to be friendly with everyone. Still, Jo Jo struggles at school, with her friends, would-be friends, and with her white teacher, who doesn’t always appreciate her buoyant humor. The episodic chapters center such things as Jo Jo learning to rhyme, sneaking her cat into school, entering an art competition, and worrying about her cat going to the vet for a shot. There are Ojibwe words and cultural references throughout, and occasionally Jo Jo speaks directly to the reader to translate a word and explain how it’s pronounced. There’s a lot of heart and humor in this easy chapter book about a memorable character. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Tara Audibert

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-8
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Novel
Subjects: First/Native Nations Friendship Grandmothers Humor Ojibwe Language Ojibwe People School
Diversity subject: Indigenous
On CCBC Booklist: School Stories: Selected PreK-12 Literature about the School Experience

Publishers: HarperCollins, Heartdrum
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 62
ISBN: 9780063015371
CCBC Location: Fiction, Quigley

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.

Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.