Almost Zero: A Dyamonde Daniel Book - Hardcover

Grimes, Nikki

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399251774 ISBN 13: 9780399251771

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2010

Synopsis

Dyamonde really wants red high-top sneakers. Too bad they're so expensive! A classmate tells her it's her mom's job to give her what she needs, but when Dyamonde tries that argument, her mom teaches her a lesson by literally only giving her what she needs. Now Dyamonde is down to almost zero outfits! But then she finds out one of her friends has it much worse, and she's determined to do what she can to help.

Coretta Scott King Award winner Nikki Grimes' third book starring the unstoppable Dyamonde Daniel will delight fans and new readers alike, with energetic storytelling, relatable situations and Dyamonde's spitfire personality.

About this title

About the Author

Nikki Grimes is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of dozens of children’s and young adult books as well as a poet and journalist.
 
Among the many accolades she has received are the Golden Dolphin Award (2005),the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children (2006), the Coretta Scott King Award (2003) for Bronx Masquerade, and the Horace Mann Upstanders Award (2011) for Almost Zero: A Dyamonde Daniel Book. Additionally, her book Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (illustrated by Bryan Collier) was a New York Times bestseller, and she was acknowledged as an NAACP Image Award Finalist in 1993 for her book Malcolm X: a Force for Change. Her books Meet Danitra Brown (illustrated by Floyd Cooper), Jazmin's Notebook, Talkin' About Bessie (illustrated by E.B. Lewis), Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Words with Wings were each awarded Coretta Scott King Honors. Visit her online at www.nikkigrimes.com.

Reviews

Grade 3–5—An enjoyable story with a good life lesson. When spunky Dyamonde makes an ill-advised attempt to boss her mother into buying her a pair of red high-top sneakers, her mother decides to provide her with only what she needs: literally the clothes on her back, spiriting away the rest of her wardrobe. Dyamonde fumes over the humiliation of wearing the same outfit, stains included, several days in a row. A classmate's tragedy shakes her out of her funk, and she rises to the occasion, asking her mother to return the rest of her clothing so she can give much of it to the girl, whose family has lost everything in a fire. Her individual effort grows into a school-wide clothing drive, and Dyamonde receives a much greater gift than a pair of high tops: the fulfillment of giving to others. The moral of the story is delivered in an endearing, accessible package. Grimes's style is easygoing and straightforward, her characters real and engaging. Christie's sketches in thick lines of black ink add to the book's appeal.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR
(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Goaded by classmate Tameeka, Dyamonde informs her mother that she needs a pair of cool new high-tops and it’s a mother’s job to provide what she needs. The approach backfires, though, and Dyamonde finds herself with only one set of clothes: “what she needs.” The experience sensitizes her to others’ needs when fire destroys a classmate’s apartment. Laced with realistic conversations, this early chapter book features vividly drawn characters in situations that leave readers with issues to ponder. A good place to start discussions on the difference between wants and needs, this is a solid addition to the Dyamonde Daniel series. Grades 2-4. --Carolyn Phelan

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

ALMOST ZERO
A DYAMONDE DANIEL Book

Also by Nikki Grimes

Jazmin’s Notebook

Bronx Masquerade

The Road to Paris

Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel

Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book

ALMOST ZERO
A DYAMONDE DANIEL Book

The World of Dyamonde Daniel

1. Sneaker Heaven

2. Robbed

3. Mean Mom and the Mustard Stain

Edition details

• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399251774
• ISBN 13: 9780399251771
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Christie R. Gregory
• Number of pages: 128