The Braid Girls

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.