Review: JoJo Makoons

Title: Jo Jo Makoons: The Used-to-Be Best Friend

Author: Dawn Quigley 

Illustrator: Tara Audibert

Publisher: Heartdrum 

Pages: 80

Review copy: Digital ARC 

Availability: May 11, 2021

Summary: 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…

My Review: The first thing to see inside this delight of a book is a yearbook style page with each of the characters in a square like a photo, but several of them are bigger than life and don't quite fit inside the squares. Ears or hair poke out. Everyone is smiling and the mood is lighthearted from the start. Jo Jo tells the reader about her cat and a lot about her name. I love that she informs the reader that if you can say Tyrannosaurus Rex, you can certainly say her Ojibwe name nindizhinikaaz. She even shows the way to pronounce it - nin-Dezh-in-i-kauz. No excuses. Jo Jo is proud of her heritage and is happy to share about how awesome it is to be learning the Ojibwe and Michif languages. Jo Jo also gives a few language lessons along the way and there is a glossary in the back.

Jo Jo is clever, curious, and a bit mischievous which makes her a ton of fun. She gets herself into tricky situations, but she is also quick to find creative solutions. One thing I loved was that she enjoys math. So many adults and children have negative feelings about math, but she gets a kick out of it. She also takes a very literal view of the world and this creates some hilarious situations much like with Amelia Bedelia. 

Recommendation: This is the beginning of a great early chapter book series that is sure to be a hit with young readers. There are friendship and family situations that most readers could likely relate to regardless of culture and then there are also some situations that come about that are specifically related to being Ojibwe. It's also simply hilarious. I'm looking forward to sharing this one with students and hope that it finds many, many readers. 

Review: Bramble and Maggie

Title: Bramble and Maggie: Horse Meets Girl
Author: Jessie Haas
Illustrator: Alison Friend
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 52
Availability: On shelves now
Review Copy: Final copy via publisher

Summary:Maggie wants a pony to ride and take care of, and to prepare she's been reading a big book on horse care. Meanwhile, Bramble is bored with giving riding lessons and walking in circles. She's looking for just the right person to take her away from her routine. Is it a perfect match? Maggie loves Bramble as soon as she sees her, but there are some things Bramble has to be sure of. Will Maggie let Bramble venture into new places? Will she protect Bramble from strange objects in the yard? Will she, most importantly, know when Bramble needs her undivided attention? This charming and funny early reader is an ideal match for young animal lovers and anyone who has ever longed for a friend who truly understands.

My Thoughts: Bramble and Maggie begins with a chapter from Bramble's perspective. I'm glad that we got to know the horse first. She is a bit of a pill. She's been giving lessons for so long that she's become bored with the whole process and is finding ways to liven up the day. She has a lot of spunk and personality.

In the second chapter, readers learn about Maggie. She's a girl who is completely horse crazy. She's been studying up and is ready to take on the challenge.

This is a sweet and funny early chapter book that will inspire giggles and smiles. It reminded me of Cowboy Kate and Cocoa. Horse fans will love it especially since it makes owning a horse seem like something anyone can do. Maggie doesn't live on a farm or have a barn. Maggie just makes a stall out of a garden shed. This may be quite inspirational for those children who have been begging for a horse.

If you are looking for more early/transitional chapter books, this one with short and interesting chapters will be just the thing.

Review: Like Bug Juice on a Burger

Title: Like Bug Juice on a Burger
Author: Julie Sternberg
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 165
Review Copy: Netgalley & library copy
Available: On shelves now

Summary: I hate camp. I just hate it. I wish I didn't. But I do. Being here is worse than bug juice on a burger. Or homework on Thanksgiving. Or water seeping into my shoes. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed "Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie," Eleanor is off to summer camp. At first she's excited to carry on the family tradition at Camp Wallumwahpuck, but when she gets there she finds icky bugs, terrible food, and worst of all: swim class, where she just can't seem to keep up with everyone else. But as the days go on, Eleanor realizes that even the most miserable situations can be full of special surprises and that growing up is full of belly flops. -- Cover image and summary via IndieBound

Review: I am always happy to find early chapter books that are fun and engaging. Like Bug Juice on a Burger is a great book for those early readers who want to start chapter books, but are still intimidated by lots of words on the page. There is a lot of white space on these pages. The addition of Matthew Cordell's refreshing illustrations also keeps this chapter book entertaining and friendly during a transition from picture books.

Whether children have experienced summer camp or not, this is a book that most can connect with as all children have dealt with fear of new situations. Eleanor runs into difficulties, but nothing that she truly can't handle. She rises up to meet the challenges in spite of her fears.

I did wonder about the formatting of the text. There are no traditional paragraphs, but there are breaks and many short lines. I thought that the author may have chosen to avoid paragraphing for easy reading. It truly did not seem like it was written in verse though the text was sometimes lyrical. Because I was wondering about the formatting and whether or not it was a novel in verse, I was happy to find this interview from the International Reading Association. The book is not exactly a novel in verse, though some refer to it that way, but I believe that the formatting she used, definitely benefits struggling and beginning readers.

For anyone looking to stock up on early chapter books, this is definitely something to purchase. It would make a nice read aloud in primary classes and would be great for reading alone when students are venturing into the chapter book realm.

**There is an Activity Kit available through Julie's website