J.D. and the Great Barber Battle, by J. Dillard (Copyright 2021)
Summary
J.D.’s mom gives him a terrible haircut before his first day of third grade. He gets teased by his friends and classmates for days. Then J.D. decides to do something about it. He realizes his artistic talents could also help him cut hair. He gives himself a sharp new haircut that makes him feel proud. Then he starts cutting the hair of his classmates. It doesn’t take long for J.D. to have a long list of kids who want him to cut their hair. Unfortunately, the man who owns the local barbershop doesn’t like that J.D. is stealing so many of his clients. He threatens to shut down J.D.’s in-home barbershop, but J.D. refuses to quit doing something he loves. J.D. and a friend think of a creative solution that helps the local barbershop get more business and allows J.D. to continue giving amazing haircuts to the kids in town. It’s a wonderful example of how creative thinking can benefit lots of people.
Teachable Moments
J.D. earns good money cutting hair. I love how the author writes the math equations that J.D. uses to calculate his income. However, J.D. gets the most joy from seeing how happy people are after he cuts their hair. J.D.’s first haircut is on his younger brother, Justin. When he finishes, J.D. thinks, “Making Justin happy with something I did filled me with a warm feeling. Like I’d just finished a plate of fried fish and French fries that my mom made every Saturday in the summer.”
I also love how J.D. thought of ways to fix his terrible haircut instead of just complaining about it. As he brainstorms solutions in the first few chapters, he realizes he’s always been good at drawing. He wonders if this talent will help him cut hair — and it does! J.D.’s self-talk throughout the book is great for your students to read. I also love how he hypes himself up when he gives his first few haircuts.
Finally, I hope your students see how important it is to encourage others. J.D. appreciates the support from his family throughout the book. It means the world to him as he starts cutting hair and when he is in the competition with the local barber.
Resources
I’ve created writing prompts and quizzes to help you teach this awesome book. You can check them out in my TpT store.
I hope you will have a chance to read J.D. and the Great Barber Battle with your students. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you so much for all that you do for your students.