The second installment in the Operation Sisterhood series centers around the creative sister, Sunday. You can read this one without having read the first book as Stealing the Show! stands well on it’s own. You might wonder how these four sisters came to be living together with two sets of parents. Just go back and read book one after enjoying Sunday’s side of the story.

Sunday, Bo, and the twins, Lee and Lil love music. They even have a band called Operation Sisterhood and they use their skills to make some money on the side. Now Sunday announces she wants to stage an original musical. She’ll do it all: write the script and music and the sisters will perform for the whole neighborhood in an nearby neighborhood garden space. Easier said than done.

Even big ideas need a plan. Sunday is more of a let’s just do it type and doesn’t have any idea how to make it happen. Talitha Thomas, a popular young stage and screen star, is a new neighbor who just might be able to help. Unfortunately, Talitha lives in a different world of celebrities and performing commitments. Turns out this pro is not much help.

This show was going to be Sunday’s way of proving her sisters wrong and showing them she can pull this off. The Harlem backdrop is the perfect setting for the plot to unfold. The satisfying ending more than makes up for the time spent hoping Sunday will find success and start believing in what she can do. It’s definitely Operation Sisterhood to the rescue.

PAGE COUNT: 272 BOOK BIRTHDAY: 1-14-25

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: OPERATION SISTERHOOD – STEALING THE SHOW! by OLUGBEMISOLA RHUDAY-PERKOVICH

1. The 11-year-old sisters are in “Free Schooling” for their education. It’s like home school, but with numerous projects exploring the history of their town. A great hands-on way to learn.
2. Marcus is a secondary character who rarely calls Sunday by her real name. He just yells out other days of the week. Turns out there’s more to Marcus than just being annoying. His friendship with Sunday turns out to be the sweetest part of the story.
3. The adult characters also shine. There’s Papa Charles, Mama Hope, Ms. Tyler, and Auntie Sunflower who owns the brownstone where the family lives. They all add their own personalities in bringing the neighborhood together.
4. The back pages after the end of the story provide a nice wrap up: There are lyrics to Sunday and her sister’s song, SHINE. Then we get SUNDAY SAUNDER’S TIPS FOR KEEPING AN IDEA NOTEBOOK. Helpful hints for young readers!
5. My research led me to discover Operation Sisterhood is headed to the stage in real life. There is also a reveal at the end of book 2 that will certainly provide a spark for a book 3. Fans of the series will be jumping for joy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OLUGBEMISOLA RHUDAY-PERKOVICH is the award-winning author of several children’s books, a member of The Brown Bookshelf, and former Board member of We Need Diverse Books(WNDB). She is a two-time African American Literature Book Club bestseller and edited the WNDBanthology The Hero Next Door. She’s contributed to several collections, including We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, Open Mic: Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices, On the Block, and Imagine it Better: Visions of What School Might Be.

She was recently commissioned to write the Operation Sisterhood stage adaptation, and has written for various outlets, including PBS Parents, Read Brightly, American Baby, Healthy Kids, and classic hip hop fanzines, like the iconic Right On! and Word Up!. Olugbemisola has worked extensively in youth development; she was twice awarded a public service fellowship from the Echoing Green Foundation for her work with girls and was the 2024 Writer-In-Residence at Bank Street School for Children. Olugbemisola lives with her family in New York City where she writes, makes things, and needs to get more sleep. (author website)

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