It's a big summer for middle schooler Maggie: she is starting a braiding business with her best friend, Daija, and she will be meeting her half-sister, Callie, who is from the Bahamas, for the first time. Callie's mother recently passed away, and Callie will be moving in with Maggie's family in Jacksonville, Florida. While Maggie is welcoming to Callie, Daija is not so happy about this new sister, as she and Maggie are practically sisters. Protective of her friendship and their new braiding enterprise, Daija is not interested in embracing Callie and is determined not to be replaced by a stranger. However, Callie soon becomes the least of their worries as nemesis Angela and her crew decide to open a competing braid business and start to steal their customers. Is it possible for the three girls to overcome their differences and insecurities and become sisters and friends? Drama between the Braid Girls and the Sistahs Who Braid heats up as the competition for business leads to a memorable climax. A summer crush for Maggie lends extra excitement. Told through the alternating points of view of the three girls, the story explores themes of friend and family relationships, grief, bullying, divorce, and parental absence, all handled with care and sensitivity.

Gr 4–8— Twelve-year-olds Daija and Maggie are looking forward to a summer as junior counselors at a day camp in their north-eastern Florida hometown. They also have plans to set up a business braiding the hair of campers. Both girls are dealing with family issues. Bold ballet dancer Daija worries that her father cares more about his new family than he does about her. Quiet, practical Maggie is nervously awaiting the arrival of her half-sister, Callie, whom she didn't know existed until recently. After some initial conflict, Maggie and Daija decide that Callie can join them in their braiding business. As soon as they begin to develop a clientele, a group of rival counselors decide to start up a competing business. Throughout the summer, the girls deal with competition, friendship, money, and family. They struggle with these challenges in age-appropriate ways and learn from their mistakes. Told in alternating viewpoints, readers see the challenges faced by the three girls from different angles. The family drama is exclusively focused on the perspective of the young leads, and conflict between their parents is not a part of the story. The characters are likable, the conclusion is satisfying, and the business plot means there are lots of beautiful descriptions of different natural Black hair styles. VERDICT This enjoyable slice-of-life novel centers three Black girls navigating family, friendship, and belonging.— Kristin L. Anderson