Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book

Nikki Grimes's novel follows the friendship of three children (Dyamonde, Free, and Damaris) as they enter a poetry contest in their school. Along the way, Dyamonde discovers Damaris is living in a shelter and has recently been evicted from her home. Dyamonde encourages her friend to write about her 'home' at the shelter. The book tackles the complex concept of poverty in an insightful, but easy to understand manner.

I gave Rich 4 stars because the story was super wholesome, shed an extremely important light onto the world of being homeless as a child, and was just over all a good book. One thing I didn't really understand was why the author chose to repeat the main characters names so often. I know this is because it's a children's book, but I have never really read another book that was written quite like this one. I think this is a really good book to read to/have children read to themselves because it introduces them to hard topics in a way that is easy for them to understand. This book also teaches a beautiful message, which is to not judge a book by its cover, and that home is different for everyone.

I think this would be an excellent classroom read. All students can identify with having to hide something out of embarrassment and I think that cultivating a way to accept each other for who you are and what your situation is would be a key to forming better bonds and empathy within a classroom. This book details that amazingly well. There are 3 main characters and I think that a student would be able to identify with at least one of those characters.

Dyamonde is a sassy and smart young girl who helps a struggling classmate to come to terms with who she is. This book re-defines how we think of what it means to be "rich" and what a "home" looks like. It deals with homelessness and poverty in a positive light. She is teaching children not to be ashamed of where they come from regardless of their situation. I think this book is important for young students to read. Those in similar situations may feel a sense of comfort and hope and those who are more fortunate may learn to be more empathetic of others situations.

Rich is a heartwarming and almost impossibly sweet story. Dyamonde Daniel is such a considerate and well thought out character and the characterization shes given by Nikki grimes is just fantastic. The story quickly sets its tone through dialouge and tells kids what 'poor' is. It is also quick to mention that just because you are 'poor' that doesn't mean anything. Dyamonde feels like a real person who was raised perfectly. It seems weird how empathetic and understanding she is for a third grader. With great characters who have standout personalities and a great lesson to teach Nikki Grimes has made a great story.

This is a heartfelt story about how being rich does not always equate to having money. Dyamonde Daniel and her best friend Free befriend a girl named Damaris who is hiding the fact that she lives in a homeless shelter. Dyamonde encourages her to be honest about her situation to show people there is no reason to be ashamed of where you come from. This book offers valuable lessons on friendship and poverty. It demonstrates to students that true wealth is not about material things you have, but about the person you are and the people that support you.

This heartfelt short novel is definitely one of my favorites. Dyamonde's best friend Free, enters the school's poetry contest to win $100 for a new game. Along the way, Dyamonde befriends the shy girl in their class named Damaris. Damaris has a secret and Dyamonde encourages her to write a poem about it for the poetry contest. This short novel delivers unforgettable messages to children such as how important it is to be nice to everyone around you because you never know what they're going through and money isn't the only thing you can be rich in.