Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel (Dyamonde Daniel #1)

Gr 2-3 Whats the matter with the new boy? wonders third grader Dyamonde Daniel. Free always looks angry and never talks in class, only communicating in grunts. Dyamonde knows what it feels like to be new: her parents divorce caused her to relocate from Brooklyn to Washington Heights. Yet her friendly overtures are rebuffed each time. When Free scares one of the little kids in the lunchroom, Dyamonde has had enough and confronts him about his grouchy behavior. It turns out that the classmates have much in common, including their unusual names and a longing for their old schools and friends. Dyamonde, smart, assertive, wild-haired, and skinnier than half a toothpick, is a memorable main character, though she sometimes sounds too mature for her years. Yet her actions and feelings ring true. Christies illustrations flesh out the characters, and along with patterned page borders, contribute child appeal. This is a promising start to a new series of transitional chapter books; suggest it to readers who enjoyed Karen Englishs "Nikki & Deja" (Clarion, 2008), another early chapter book about the ups and downs of friendship between two African-American students."Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

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