The Operation Sisterhood series continues to shine with its latest installment, delivering a heartfelt and joyful story that celebrates Black girlhood, creativity, and the power of community. In this sequel, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich captures the vibrant energy of Harlem through the eyes of Sunday and her three sisters, Bo, Lil, and Lee, as they embark on their most ambitious project yet: staging an original musical.

Sunday’s journey as the writer and director of the musical takes center stage. Her struggles with creative burnout and the pressure to impress a new neighbor, TV star Talitha Thomas, add relatable tension and depth. It’s easy to root for Sunday as she navigates her self-doubt and rediscovers her creative spark with the help of her sisters. The family dynamic is beautifully portrayed, with humor and tenderness shining through every interaction.

The book also highlights the rich history and culture of New York City’s communities. The inclusion of a New York City map adds an engaging element for readers, allowing them to follow along with the sisters’ adventures. The novel’s themes of teamwork, resilience, and the importance of lifting each other up resonate deeply, making it a delightful read for middle-grade audiences and beyond.

While the story’s pacing lags slightly in places, the charm of the characters and the humor sprinkled throughout keep readers invested. Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich’s writing is both heartfelt and authentic, offering a celebration of creativity and sisterhood that feels refreshing and necessary.

This sequel is a wonderful continuation of the series, offering humor, inspiration, and a reminder of the magic that happens when communities come together. Whether you’re new to Operation Sisterhood or a returning fan, this book will leave you smiling and hopeful.

Perfect for fans of Renée Watson and Jacqueline Woodson, this is a must-read for anyone who values family, creativity, and the beauty of shared dreams.

I went to a book event and met Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich.
I started to read the Operation Sisterhood, once book #2 was on Netgalley I had to request it!, very glad I got to read it.
This is going to be a series I can read with my daughter once she starts reading chapter books.
We get to know Sunday, with her four parents and three sisters. They are "free-schooling" and have their own music group. This was a good middle grade story. We get to learn how the kids learn and react to situations. Those who read book one will enjoy this sequel. Hopefully we get more books in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's​- Crown Books for Young Readers​ for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

In Operation Sisterhood, we met Bo and and new stepsisters, Sunday and twins Lil and Lee, as they navigated their new life in a Harlem brownstone owned by their Auntie Sunflower. Now, we see the world from Sunday's point of view. Sunday, whose mother lives in London, is a song writer and aspiring detective, and has a great idea to put together a show for their neighborhood. Sunday's mother always reminds her that she shines, but Sunday, who often forgets her turn to make dinner and tries to put together combinations like sardines and Biscoff cookie butter, often has trouble believing in herself. The family has spent a lot of time refurbishing a local garden, which seems like the best place to put on such an extravaganza. Sunday's plans might be a little beyond her reach, as she promises that the event will have lots of celebrities. Luckily for her, teen star Talitha Thomas moves into the neighborhood, and agrees to help with the production! Sunday opens up auditions to everyone in the neighborhood, and there's a lot of interest, but Sunday has trouble organizing her thoughts and implementing a plan. Talitha isn't as much help as she would like, and can only meet for short periods. On top of this, Sunday and her sisters have a free schooling assignment to investigate historical free Black communities in the cities, and are supposed to travel around to them and gather information for a project. This does give Sunday some ideas about sharing different people's stories, and also makes her worry about her own neighborhood being gentrified. One of the outings that her parents encourage is one to the Morgan Library to see an exhibit about Lucille Clifton and Gwendolyn Brooks. Sunday has a growing number of projects she needs to organize, like writing a song for the sisters' band, the script for the show, etc., but procrastinates, although she is glad to see that the idea of the performance is making her neighborhood happy. When Talitha leaves suddenly for a job in London and doesn't let Sunday know, will the performance be able to go on?
Strengths: Sunday's family and neighborhood is filled with a wide array of talented, exuberant people who are invested in their community. Auntie Sunflower provides the family's home for free, Papa Charles runs a bookstore, Mama Hope draws maps for books and teaches cartography, and even Ms. Tyler keeps everyone on their toes by hanging out on her stoop. It's good to see a close knit neighborhood rally together around something like a community performance. I also really enjoyed all of the history that Sunday and her sisters discovered while working on their free schooling project. Younger readers really enjoy a bit of celebrity shine in books, so Talitha's life will be very interesting.
Weaknesses: I wish that Sunday would have learned more organizational skills from Bo, but did appreciate that there was a note at the back where she outlined a bit of what she needed to do!
What I really think: As someone who always secretly wanted to do a backyard carnival to raise money for muscular dystrophy and was never allowed, I was enthralled by Sunday's attempts to put together a community event. It seems that there should be a ton of middle grade books where characters do something similar, but I'm struggling to find them! Readers who enjoyed the first book will be glad to pick up this sequel.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Sunday has a big, eclectic "freeschooling" family, with four parents and three sisters, each of who have their own strengths. They have their own music group, too. Sunday has the big idea of putting on a show to tell the stories of the people in their neighborhood, and gets a great response, including from Talitha, the star of "Middle School Musical".

Except Talitha doesn'r come to auditions or rehearsals listen to Sunday's plans...instead it's all about her. And Sunday feels overloaded between trying to write a play and put on a show, write songs, and all her other obligations.

This is easily one of the best depictions of homeschooling I've read, with a mix of structured activities and interest led learning, and the awesome line "Freeschooling means the parents are free to make EVERYTHING school"-which is 100% what happens when you're a homeschooling family. The problems are realistic, and while all the sisters are talented, none are without flaws, either. The accomplishments feel well earned.

This is apparently the second book in a series, and hopefully there are more to come.