J.D. and the Family Business (J.D. the Kid Barber #2)

by J Dillard (Author) Akeem S Roberts (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Eight-year-old kid barber J.D. joins forces with his sister, who has beauty shop dreams, in this hilarious illustrated chapter book series. J.D. is a barber battle champion. He's graduated from home haircuts to having a regular chair at the neighborhood shop, Hart and Son, and he's making enough money to keep his candy jar stocked and his comic book collection growing. And yet, J.D. knows it's time for his next challenge. He doesn't just want to be the best barber in Meridian, Mississippi--he wants to be the best barber in the state . . . and maybe the country! When his older sister, Vanessa, starts to gain a following online for her hair tutorials, the kids decide that to truly level up, they must join forces. How do two siblings with big personalities, big ambitions, and competitive spirits work together (or not) to take over the hair world?
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School Library Journal

Gr 1-3—Fresh off his win at the Great Barber Battle, J.D. has been working at the barbershop for a couple of months now and is feeling like things are getting stale. After all, how many other eight-year-olds spend every Saturday working a job? When his sister Vanessa proposes that they start a YouTube channel so she can become a Hair Influencer, J.D. is willing to quit his Saturday job and give it a try. But almost immediately, the unthinkable happens and it seems he and best friend Jordan will be in debt for payback on a certain expensive camera until they're in high school. Can "The Southeast Star's Summer Vacation Showdown" provide them with a win, new subscribers, and a cash prize; or will they just end up as also-ran wannabes? This early-reader chapter book has lots of heart and lots of fun, along with lively black-and-white illustrations. There are plugs for college, hard work, honing your talents, and even Vacation Bible School. J.D. and his multigenerational family are African American, and their culture and community provide the backbone for this story. Perhaps the only stumble is that J.D. reads older than his supposed age of eight, as does his sister, who at age 10 sounds like she could be starting high school. Even so, this book will work well both for independent readers and as a read-aloud. VERDICT Everyone will root for J.D. and his mad barbering skills. A good choice for all libraries serving elementary-age readers.—Elizabeth Friend, Wester M.S., TX

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

★A surefire win of a read expressly made for young Black boys to cherish.
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Dillard has a sharp ear for dialogue, and J.D.'s conversational narration paired with the story's gentle humor and perfectly placed pop culture references will ensure a wide appeal. Akeem S. Roberts' cartoon-style illustrations of J.D. and his friends are packed with personality and make this a great choice for readers transitioning into chapter books. The first book in a planned series, J.D. and the Great Barber Battle feels like a winner."
—BookPage

The African American cultural references and community values will resonate with readers of all ages, while the joyful, wholesome story will give them something to look forward to in subsequent entries.
—The Horn Book
J Dillard
J. Dillard es un barbero experto ¡que comenzó a cortarse el pelo cuando tenía diez años! Después de muchas pruebas y adversidades, empezó a cortar pelo profesionalmente en 1999 y se convirtió en el dueño de una barbería mientras estudiaba en la Universidad Tuskegee en Alabama. Hoy día, vive en Atlanta y viaja por Estados Unidos durante todo el año como barbero personal. J.D. el niño barbero es su serie de libros infantiles, e incluye: J.D. y la gran batalla de barberos, J.D. y el negocio familiar y J.D. en la expo de estilistas.

Akeem S. Roberts es un ilustrador radicado en Brooklyn. Trabaja como animador para Holler Studios y contribuye regularmente con dibujos animados a la revista The New Yorker. Es un graduado de la Universidad de Carolina del Sur. Cuando Akeem no está trabajando, le gusta comer (¿a quién no?), tomar café y dibujar cómics sobre su vida cotidiana.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593111550
Lexile Measure
N/A
Guided Reading Level
N/A
Publisher
Kokila
Publication date
August 20, 2021
Series
J.D. the Kid Barber
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV045000 - Juvenile Fiction | Readers | Chapter Books
Library of Congress categories
Haircutting
African Americans
Mississippi
Production and direction
Video recordings
Barbering

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