Barbara E. Barber

This book was an easy read, and I would recommend it to teachers of young students. Because the main character is a young girl, the language used throughout was spoken in first person, and I felt that it would be appealing to young readers because it’s a familiar language (age 7). An example of this is when she’s talking about he hair dryers, and describes them by saying, “the pink hair dryers look so shiny you almost have to squint.” The basis of the story is a “day in the life” of the little girl when she spends her Saturdays at her mother’s hair salon. The story introduces characters and their specific Saturday habits, like Mrs. Johnson who always falls asleep under the dryer, and says “It’s the only time I can take a nap without being disturbed.” Another thing that I liked about this book was how descriptive the author was, like when she talked about the scent of the parlor: “the new you smells so good on Saturday mornings- like sweet peach shampoo and strawberry conditioner and fresh coffee.” I felt as if I was standing in the salon and could spell those things for myself.
An important aspect of this book is it’s slight sense of multicilrualism. All of the characters in the book are African American, and so some of the words in the book like afro-comb, beads, and braids give the reader an idea of some different styles used on different kinds of hair. I also though it was sweet how in the beginning of the story, the little girl says “mom says all hair is beautiful hair.” The main idea of this story was that it’s nice to be a good helper, as the little girl helps her mother in her salon once a week.… (plus d'informations)

Summary:
Shauna, a young African American girl, helps open and set up "The New You" Salon. Owned by Shauna's mother, Shauna hopes to be able to help her momma more extensively in the salon, rather than small jobs such as "[arranging] the packets of sugar" for the coffee early in the morning. Shauna loves watching her mother do the customers' hair, as well as the excitement of the customers after they see "The New You" in the mirror.

The central message of this book is the importance of diversity and working together as a family. The illustrations in this book were very detailed, which greatly assisted the long paragraphs of texts in the book. I would have liked if the paragraphs were split up more to make it easier to follow along. For instance, I like how Shauna had her own smock that her mother made her, and you could easily see the flower pattern on her smock, and the label of her name 'Shauna.' I like the use of the pastel colors, as well as the precise details of the hair curlers, scissors, and combs used. While I understand that Shauna wants to do more to help her mother, I do not like how the author makes her come off kind of bratty. For example, Shauna admires when she watches her mother do the customers hair, although Shauna says, "...but all I do is put the rollers in the tray." I believe the author's wording could be altered at certain parts in the book to make Shauna seem more admirable than jealous.… (plus d'informations)

This book’s main themes are dealing with gender stereotypes, persisting when you don’t succeed, and making your parents proud.

Pre-reading: I would draw attention to the front cover. What things do they notice about it? If they do not point out setting, I would draw attention to it. What things does it tell us about the book?

Post-reading: I would want to see what meaning the students make of this book. What do the students think the author’s purpose for writing the book was. What did they think of Allie and Buddy’s relationship? Do these types of conversations between boys and girls still occur? How would you react if it happened to you? I predict this book could get kids talking about what types of toys their brothers/sister played with and gender roles that exist in their world.… (plus d'informations)