Operation Sisterhood

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. (Jan.)