Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel (A Dyamonde Daniel Book)

This advanced 2nd - beginner 4th grade book is really precious. Grimes has a knack for writing in the voice of a child without sounding like an adult trying to do so. The tone and problem-solving of the protagonist Dyamonde (pronounced "Diamond") genuinely sounds like a young child's, albeit a bit more reformed than the typical elem. student. But that's a little the point-- Dyamonde is a little girl who sees and understands with empathy and wisdom uncommonly attributed to children. She's imaginative, playful, proactively willful, and strong, but she's also thoughtful and kind.

What's becoming one of my favorite attributes of Grimes' writing is her very natural play with gender norms. It's subtle and moderate-- Grimes doesn't 'queer' the show more configuration of femininity or masculinity- nothing is that drastic about her work. But she does make women strong and brave and curious, and she makes boys the same. She makes boys thoughtful, introspective, able to apologize, and kind, and she makes girls the same.

Grimes often pairs friendships across gender and/or financial and/or race lines, but she doesn't do it in a 'blind' way--- within these friendships, the kids discuss difficult topics and bring attention-- with words-- the reality that, if these were biographical stories, the characters would have noticed and felt in 'real life'.

In this story, Grimes uses Dyamonde, her new friend Free, and their mutually made, new friend Aisha in order to create a dialogue for kids about anger, sorrow, loss, fear, hunger, and community. The three navigate high stress situations, all the while, presenting a very real, entertaining, and enjoyable story about 3 little buddies having adventures and exploring their neighborhoods. show less

Dyamonde misses her best friend, Alisha, who she had to leave behind in Brooklyn. Now she lives with her mom in Washington Heights, and she hasn't found a new best friend yet. New kid Free doesn't seem like a good candidate at first - he is grumpy and growly - but when Dyamonde stands up to him/gets to know him better, she finds they have a lot in common.

A super quick read with lots of spunk and promise.

Quotes

"You really don't care what people think."
"About what?"
"About sitting with me. About anything."
"Why should I?" asked Dyamonde. "I know what I think, and that's enough."
Free just shook his head.
"You can't do things or not do things just 'cause somebody else thinks you should." (55)

Dyamonde Daniel moves to a new neighborhood after parents divorce and works to make new friends and figure out her new life. She is smart and easy-going, but one boy, Free, is constantly rude and uncommunicative and even bullies other students. She decides to stand up to him and eventually learns more about him and becomes his friend.

I love this book. I was so excited when it first came out because I have always worked in schools with primarily black students and there are not enough good books with black characters. I also love that it is set in the city and not the suburbs. I loved how Dyamonde is portrayed as a spunky, smart, strong character who can be a realistic role model for children. I also love the message that bullies are show more often bullies for a reason, and that it is worthwhile to stand up to them and befriend them. show less

This first book in a series could stand alone but Dyamonde Daniel is exactly the type of character you'll want to keep in your life. She's confident, smart, spunky, friendly, down to earth---and she'll tell you so!
After moving to the Bronx from Brooklyn when her parents divorced, Dyamonde has had to make some changes adapting to her new neighborhood. She hasn't been the new girl long before a new boy moves in and the story now becomes about more than just Dyamonde's personal growth. Written in short chapters and at just over 100 pages, this illustrated chapter book is highly accessible and easy to read. The illustrations, done simply in broad strokes of blank ink, are excellent and add important perspective to the story.

I read the first Dyamonde Daniel book and I knew I had to read the series. This one was great also because Dyamonde had to leave her friends in her old neighborhood and attend a new school since her parents had an divorce. She makes herself very well known at the school. She goes through a lot of emotions through out the book because she was dealing with a lot, but she is also this brave Dyamonde Daniel that we all know. She is trying to find out why this new boy at school has a bad attitude. Eventually, they become close friends.

Dyamonde Daniel is a spunky little girl who just moved into a new neighborhood after her parents got divorced. She is trying to fit in and make new friends, but everyone already has there own group of friends. Eventually, she befriends the feared new kid and turns out is in a similar situation. They become best friends! This is another great book about making friends and giving people chances. It is also good to see an African-American young girl as the star of the book because you don't see that very often in children's literature.

Dyamonde is a spirited girl that is fun to root for, and I like that this series keeps a very positive tone while addressing some of the big stuff kids deal with.