Operation Sisterhood

December 6, 2021
In a one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx, 11-year-old Tokunbo “Bo” Marshall, who is Nigerian American, engages in her passion for baking, her love of music, and her babysitting expertise while sharing special recipes with her single mother. But as her mom prepares to marry, Bo needs time to feel through the transition, the new sibling she’ll soon gain in bookstore owner Bill’s pianist daughter, and the chosen family also living in Bill’s Harlem brownstone. Change comes quickly as Bo and her mother move from their community into Bill’s building, Bo starts freeschooling, and finances put a hold on Bo and her mother’s long-planned trip to Black Paris and Lagos. Despite the upheaval, Bo and her newfound family learn how to love each other and plan a “wedding block party” for their parents. Rhuday-Perkovich (It Doesn’t Take a Genius) interweaves Black culture with a realistic depiction of what a transition to a blended family—and being raised by a village—can look like. Ages 8–12. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary.

December 15, 2021
Grades 4-7 Tukunbo "Bo" and her mother (who she calls Mum) are very close and share many interests, including a love of baking. When Mum finally marries her boyfriend, Bill, Bo gets a new family, including Bill's daughter Sunday, Mama Hope, Papa Charles and their twin daughters, Lil and Lee, who all live in a brownstone in Harlem. This blended family's unorthodox way of life is not understood by their neighbors, but that doesn't impede the family's happiness. Bo and her sisters share a love of music, and to celebrate Mum and Bill's marriage, the girls plan a party with their new band as entertainment. The party quickly becomes a neighborhood event, but can the girls pull it off? They don't even have a band name yet! Operation Sisterhood is a warmhearted story about what makes a family. The cast of characters is funny, vibrant, and relatable, particularly the girls and their irascible neighbor, Mrs. Tyler. Readers looking for books with positive depictions of blended families and Black girlhood will enjoy this title.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2021
An 11-year-old only child must learn how to accept her new blended family. Nigerian American Tokunbo Marshall thought life was perfect with just her and her Mum in their Bronx apartment. They had their special recipes, always discussed things, were planning to visit Paris and Lagos, and had a community Bo loved. Then Mum began dating Bill, and Bo noticed her smiling more, so she went along with the changes that ensued. Now, with Bill and Mum getting married and their moving in with him in his chaotic family's Harlem brownstone, Bo feels adrift. It is a major adjustment for methodical Bo to go from two people to eight--counting Bill's daughter, Sunday, plus Bill and Sunday's chosen family, twin sisters Lee and Lil and their parents--not to mention a slew of pets. She feels overwhelmed with learning to be a sister while maintaining her own identity, but she soon discovers that sharing parts of herself is easier than she thinks. Working together to plan the ultimate wedding garden party helps as well. Rhuday-Perkovich's love letter to New York City is brimming with heartwarming moments in which Bo discovers how she fits in with her new patchwork family amid constant changes. The limited omniscient narration allows the personalities of each sister to shine, adding depth to their characterizations, but it also makes for storytelling that is densely detailed. Most characters are Black. A loving display of family and community. (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 22, 2022

Gr 3-7-Eleven-year-old Bo and her mother have always been a team: inventing recipes, planning trips to Lagos, and building community in their tight-knit apartment building in the Bronx. However, everything changes when Mum falls in love with Bill, a kind bookstore owner who seems to make her happier than Bo has ever seen. In a whirlwind, Bo and her mum move into a historic brownstone in Queens filled with a menagerie of animals and new family members, including a talkative stepsister, Sunday, and the twins, Lee and Lil. Instead of public school, the kids spend their days in rigorous self-guided inquiry, project-based learning, and independent trips to local museums and monuments. Bo has to learn to share her formerly very organized space for the first time-and toughest of all-she has to share her mom. Bo's growth throughout the plot is gentle, heartfelt, and sure to resonate with young readers who also have blended families, and who prefer subtle conflicts more than high stakes drama. Rhuday-Perkovich authentically explores the anxiety and grief that comes with major life changes while also celebrating the positives: that change often brings growth and that learning to share can ultimately make a life even bigger than before. All of the main characters are Black. VERDICT This eclectic celebration of Black joy, community, learning, and sisterhood is perfect for fans of Kelly Yang or Aisha Saeed.-Catherine Cote

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2024
This second series entry reintroduces readers to the "double-decker" family of two sets of children and parents sharing one household, this time through the eyes of 11-year-old Sunday Saunders, who's one of four sisters. Sunday feels like each sister shines at something, except for her. While she excels at writing and comes up with grand ideas, she struggles to execute them and often falls short in planning. Tired of feeling overshadowed, she comes up with her biggest idea yet: hosting a community musical extravaganza where everyone can showcase their talents. Trying to balance everything, Sunday quickly realizes that she may have overpromised; now, she must find a way to achieve the feeling of being special that she desires. Rhuday-Perkovich presents the family structure and their "freeschooling" philosophy in ways that show the benefits and drawbacks, with the girls learning to manage both the things they can control about themselves and the opinions and actions of others, which they can't. The initial pacing is slow, and the introduction of all the parents, girls, and pets may feel overwhelming to readers who are new to the series. As the characters' personalities develop, however, differentiating among them becomes easier. Readers see Sunday grow and gain in self-confidence in a Bronx setting that comes to life through vivid imagery. The main characters are Black. A heartfelt story of family life and learning how to shine. (song lyrics, tips for keeping an idea notebook)(Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2025
Grades 4-7 Operation Sisterhood is back with a new story told from the perspective of Sunday. Sunday is full of big ideas but not always a plan to see them through. She pitches her latest idea, a show that spotlights the stories of her Harlem community, to the neighborhood without talking to her sisters first. When a celebrity comes to town and shows an interest in being the star of the show, Sunday will have to decide whether having her be a part of the show is worth the strain it causes on the relationship with her sisters. Part Baby-Sitters Club, part love letter to New York City and its Black history, this story sees Sunday and her sisters embrace their love for each other and their neighbors. Sunday is free-schooled and lives in an unconventional, Black blended family. Her story shows that true friends and family accept you for who you are and help you achieve your goals. A fun read for tweens trying to find their place in the world.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.