Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/01/2023 Maggie has been best friends with Daija ever since she moved from her previous home in Japan. Daija and Maggie just click, and they're so close that they don’t really need any other friends. But when Maggie discovers that her father has another daughter, named Callie, and that Callie is going to have to come live with her family, she has mixed feelings. Daija’s feelings, however, aren’t mixed at all: she doesn’t trust Maggie’s new sister, and she definitely doesn’t like having to share her best friend. When the three girls start a hair-braiding business together, they find that they must navigate the ups and downs of friendship, family, and rivalries. Winston’s newest novel explores a variety of different family dynamics within the Black community. It is easy to delineate between the girls, who all serve as narrators, as they each have distinct voices. This book celebrates the empowerment of young Black girls across all walks of life. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2023 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. VERDICT This enjoyable slice-of-life novel centers three Black girls navigating family, friendship, and belonging.—Kristin L. Anderson - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.