The Last Day Julian Was My Best Friend

Sometimes it's tough to tell the truth...especially when you know your best friend will most certainly NOT be your best friend anymore when you tell him what you did.The Last Day Julian Was My Best Friend is a story about being honest, no matter the cost, and about the beauty, strength, and resilience of true friendship. The author, Jody Jensen Shaffer, strikes a perfect balance here, engaging young readers with the fun, slice-of-life adventures of two best friends (vibrantly illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff) all the while with an undercurrent of the anxiety and internal conflict the narrator feels about what will happen when he tells the truth. This important story addresses a very common childhood misstep and reassures the reader that wrongs can be righted! And for those kids who see themselves in Julian, the friend who was wronged, his grace and forgiveness in this situation is an equally valuable takeaway. I'm anxious to share this story at circle time in my classroom. Add this one to your classroom/library list!

Author Jody Jensen Shaffer and illustrator Joanne Lew-Vriethoff get it just right in The Last Day Julien Was My Best Friend. Anthony recounts all the fun he and Julien have playing with Julien’s cool marble. When it goes missing, young readers will notice the change in Anthony’s expression and how he predicts the end of the friendship. (According to Anthony, all that fun happened “Before the last day Julien was my friend”). And while Julien never suspects his friend, we can see that Anthony is ruminating about what he’s done, certain his betrayal will be the end of their friendship. Kids (and adults) will relate to Anthony’s inability to sleep and need to get his misdeed off his chest. The story is gentle rather than didactic, built around a situation kids can relate to. The hopeful ending offers children an example of how to respond with grace when friends let us down. This is a great purchase for home and school libraries alike.

What a great lesson to learn the power of honesty. Life lesson for sure!