Jo Jo Makoons: Rule School

Ages 6 to 10, Grades 1 to 5

In this fourth book in the unique chapter book series by author Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) and illustrated by artist Tara Audibert (Wolastoqey), the Elders’ Tribal Center has opened up their talent show to the entire community, and Jo Jo certainly has plenty of talents of her own to show off—though following her substitute teacher’s rules may not be one of them.… 

It is good to follow the rules. But there are just so many!Jo Jo and her classmates are excited that the Elders’ Tribal Center has changed the rules for the talent show to invite the whole tribe to perform. But the rules have also changed in Jo Jo’s classroom, where instead of their teacher, they have a substitute. Since Jo Jo has a knack for being helpful, she puts her mind to helping her classmates decide on their talents—but can she manage to follow the substitute teacher’s rules?Even if no one else quite understands Jo Jo’s own rules (like that saying “please” makes words softer and fluffier to hear, and that square foods are too pointy to be yummy), her undeniable talents for celebrating, curiosity, and class keep her happily hop-skipping in step with her Ojibwe community.

About the Author

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.Tara Audibert is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, cartoonist, animator, and podcaster. She owns and runs Moxy Fox Studio, where she creates her award-winning works, including the animated short film The Importance of Dreaming, comics This Place: 150 Years Retold and Lost Innocence, and “Nitap: Legends of the First Nations,” an animated storytelling app. She is of Wolastoqey/French heritage and resides in Sunny Corner, New Brunswick, Canada. You can find her online at moxyfox.ca.