Operation Sisterhood

By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2022. Fiction.

11-year-old Bo is used to her quiet, cozy life with her single mother in their one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx. But when Mum announces her engagement to Bill, who makes Mum smile more than she ever has, Bo knows that big changes are coming. Changes like a new stepsister named Sunday, a move to Harlem, a change to "free schooling" and a big new chosen family with two more sisters, twins named Lee and Lil, and their parents who share Bill's brownstone along with a slew of pets. Bo's new family is welcoming and happy to include her, but the transition is overwhelming for Bo -- especially since she feels like she never gets time alone with Mum anymore. Still, she begins to grow closer to her sisters as the girls plan a neighborhood block party to celebrate Mum and Bill's marriage.

This is a happy novel about a blended family coming together and discovering all the different definitions of what it means to be a family. Though the cast of characters is pretty sprawling, each of the family members stands out as a vibrant and relatable character. An extra sprinkle of Black Girl Magic and an authentic depiction of Black girlhood is especially welcome. Rhuday-Perkovich was inspired by other stories of big families living in New York City and this new family with Bo, Sunday, Lil, and Lee, is one that readers will certainly want to join.

Comments

Five Faves: Mysterious High-Low Intermediate Books

Intermediate Mystery books are a gold mine. High-low books refer to titles that are of high interest to readers, but contain low level vocabulary. These titles are clever, action-packed, and have several books in the series to keep the mystery alive. These intermediate mystery books are the first in their series and are sure to appease any mystery loving reader. The Ghost Tree Written by Natasha Deen Illustrated by Lissy Marlin New York: Random House Children's Books, 2022. Intermediate. 95 pages. With a dash of paranormal mixed with mystery, this book introduces Asim, a Guyanese American fourth grader who moves to a new town. After a visit to a graveyard, an evil spirit is unleashed. Asim works with new friends, Rokshar and Max, to save their town. With scarily cool illustrations to accompany this text, this book is great for any amateur sleuths who love a touch of creepy. Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash Written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver Illustrated by Dan San

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

Review: The Enigma Girls

The Enigma Girls By Candace Fleming New York: Scholastic Focus, 2024. Informational. 371 pages. If you have an interest in little known aspects of history or in World War II in particular, this book is for you. The Enigma Girls tells the story of 10 young women who worked at Station X at Bletchley Park in England helping to break ciphers during World War II. Each of the girls grew up in different circumstances, and thus, each worked at in a different part of Station X cracking codes. The reader learns about how Station X worked through the stories of each of the girls. Whether it was transcribing the Morse code messages that the Germans were sending to their armies or decoding, translating, or paraphrasing messages, each girl had a part to play. The stories of the girls are intermixed with plenty of photographs as well as special chapters about how to decode various types of ciphers. Learning about Station X through the eyes of the girls that worked there helps the reader gain a huma

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog