Charlie has a foolproof plan for the first day at her new middle school. Even though she's used to starting over as the new kid-thanks to her military family's constant moving-making friends has never been easy for her. But this time, her first impression needs to last, since this is where her family plans to settle for good. So she's hiding any interests that may seem "babyish," updating her look, and doing her best to leave her shyness behind her... but is erasing the real Charlie the best way to make friends? Just when Charlie is ready to give up on making new friendships, she meets the Curlfriends, a group of Black girls who couldn't be more different from each other, and learns that maybe there is a place for Charlie to be her true self after all.