A Friendship For Today Book

McKissack draws from her memories of her experience as the first African-American in an integrated elementary school to tell a fictional tale of Rosemary Patterson, a young black girl whose world is radically altered when the all-black school closes in 1954 and she enrolls in 6th grade at a brand-new school. Shortly before school begins Rosemary's best friend J.J. beats her fair and square in a foot race, and Rosemary discovers she does not like to lose. But she loses much more than a race when J.J. contracts polio and is moved to a special treatment center far away, leaving Rosemary as the only black child in her grade. The transition to integration is not without pitfalls and difficulties, but Rosemary slowly finds her niche at Robertson. Sadly, while Rosemary is successfully integrating, her parents' marriage is disintegrating. An injured cat, a caring teacher, a wise principal, a rock-solid loving mother, and the most unlikely friendship Rosemary could ever imagine nurture her through all the changes of a tumultuous year.