J.D. and the Family Business

J. Dillard's J.D. and the Family Business is a warm, funny story for 6 year olds about an eight-year-old barber, his big sister and a summer of YouTube videos.

What happens

J.D. cuts hair. Properly. On Saturdays he has his own chair at Hart and Son, the one real barbershop in Meridian, Mississippi. The book opens with his mum asking him for a daring new haircut the night before her graduation. When she sees it, she cries (happy tears, luckily).

But Saturdays at the shop have started to feel a bit flat. So when Vanessa, his big sister, passes him a note about the best summer ever, he's interested. Her idea is a YouTube channel. Hair and nails from her and their friend Jessyka, and haircuts from J.D.

The only trouble is that Vanessa has already started without him. In his room. With his barber chair and his cape. Is she copying him again? J.D. is fairly sure she is.

Then there's a week of Vacation Bible School, a little girl in tears because her bumblebee hair clips have gone, and Vanessa sneaking into the church to use the pastor's video camera. J.D. is the careful one. He's not sure about any of it.

J.D. tells the story himself and he's lovely company. You get all his worries. Did he just ruin his mum's hair? Will Henry Jr. mind if he takes the summer off? Then you get his pride when something goes right, and his excitement when he finally gets in front of the camera.

The family is big, busy and very loving. They all live with the grandparents. Granddad jumps out from behind walls to quiz the children on their summer workbook, with an extra scoop of ice cream riding on the answer.

If you've got a reader with a brother or sister who drives them mad (and who they secretly think is quite brilliant), they'll recognise these two straight away.

What to read next

J.D.'s story starts in J.D. and the Great Barber Battle, on the night before third grade, with a home haircut from Mum. If they enjoy J.D.'s company, it's well worth going back for.