J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

Eight-year-old J.D. turns a tragic home haircut into a thriving barber business in this hilarious new illustrated chapter book series

J.D. has a big problem--it's the night before the start of third grade and his mom has just given him his first and worst home haircut. When the steady stream of insults from the entire student body of Douglass Elementary becomes too much for J.D., he takes matters into his own hands and discovers that, unlike his mom, he's a genius with the clippers. His work makes him the talk of the town and brings him enough hair business to open a barbershop from his bedroom. But when Henry Jr., the owner of the only official local barbershop, realizes he's losing clients to J.D., he tries to shut him down for good. How do you find out who's the best barber in all of Meridian, Mississippi? With a GREAT BARBER BATTLE!

From the hilarious and creative mind of J. Dillard, an entrepreneur, public speaker, and personal barber, comes a new chapter book series with characters that are easy to fall for and nearly impossible to forget. Akeem S. Roberts' lively illustrations make this series a must-buy for reluctant readers.

2021 New York Public Library Best Books
2021 Chicago Public Library Best Books
2021 School Library Journal Best Books
2022-2023 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
2022 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor

Author: J. Dillard
Publisher: Kokila
Published: 02/23/2021
Pages: 128
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.70w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780593111529
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.8
Point Value: 2
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 513864 / J.D. and the Great Barber Battle


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2021
Booklist 03/26/2021
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2021 pg. 109

About the Author
J. Dillard (known as the Barberpreneur) is a former managing partner for ConAllegiance, a consulting firm based out of Atlanta, Georgia. He is a master barber, a certified consultant, and an industry leader who started cutting his own hair at the age of ten. After many trials and tribulations, he began cutting hair professionally in 1999 and became a shop owner while attending college at Tuskegee University in Alabama. He travels the country with his clients as a personal barber and calls Atlanta home. This is his first book series for children.

Akeem S. Roberts is an illustrator based in Brooklyn. He works as an in-house animator for Holler Studios and contributes cartoons regularly to The New Yorker. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. When Akeem is not working, he likes to eat food (who doesn't?), drink coffee, and make comics about his day-to-day life on Instagram.