The Braid Girls
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
In this unforgettable summer novel perfect for fans of From the Desk of Zoe Washington, Maggie, her best friend Daija, and her new half-sister Callie team up to create the ultimate hair-braiding business.
Maggie's world is turned upside down when she learns that her father, whom she admires, has a second daughter, Callie, whom no one knew existed. But she won't let a new family member get in the way of her summer plans with best friend Daija. They're determined to make tons of money braiding hair for kids around the neighborhood.
Daija's always felt like she had a sister in Maggie. So she can't let new half-sister Callie take her place! And she can't let her interfere with their new Braid Girls business, either. She needs the money to pay for extra ballet lessons so she can go en pointe and earn a spot in the fall dance showcase, making her distant father proud at last—if she pulls this off, he'll have to pay attention to her.
Callie's still grieving her late mom. Now she's leaving her old home in the Bahamas behind, including her old school and friends to move in with the father she's never met, plus his family. When she hears of Maggie's and Daija's business, she sees a chance to prove her skills and a way to be accepted.
With three very different girls on board, the Braid Girls arrive to a summer camp full of kids with locs begging to be braided. Business is booming, until rival Angela shows up with her friends and starts a new braiding business—the Sistahs Who Braid. With competition heating up, the Braid Girls are sure to have an unforgettable summer.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
