The Braid Girls

Hoping to make extra money over the summer, best friends Daija and Maggie, who are both Black, are excited to launch their hair-braiding business while undertaking their responsibilities as junior counselors at Paradise Park camp. Daija plans to use the funds to pay for a ballet tutor, while Maggie yearns to impress her strict father with her success. Since Maggie is the "pie-in-the-sky type of girl" and Daija is the "getting it done type," the pair feel that they're perfectly matched to take on this endeavor and build a booming business. But when Maggie's father introduces Maggie to her biracial half sister Callie, whose mother recently died, Maggie struggles to incorporate Callie into her already established summer plans. Daija and Maggie begrudgingly invite Callie to join their Braid Girls team, but while their business launch is good, emerging competition threatens their progress. Daija, meanwhile, struggles with feelings of jealousy over Callie and Maggie's budding siblinghood, and the two besties must reckon with how life changes will affect their future friendship. In this loving ode to the beauty of Black hair, Winston winningly portrays the girls' ambitious entrepreneurial spirit and competitive drive, and explores, via their shifting dynamics and emotional openness, the complexities of blended families. Ages 8-12. (June)

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