Almost Zero: A Dyamonde Daniel Book

by Nikki Grimes, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399251771
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	10/28/2010
Series:	A Dyamonde Daniel Book , #3
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,169,177
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

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.

Read an Excerpt

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

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Almost Zero"
by .
Copyright © 2010 Nikki Grimes.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Young Readers Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Dyamonde's readers will enjoy seeing a strong, smart African-American girl face the same challenges they do. A treasure."—Kirkus Reviews

"An enjoyable story with a good life lesson."—School Library Journal

"Readers will identify strongly with the emotions and actions of Dyamonde as she works through her problem."—Children's Literature

From the Publisher

Gr 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

School Library Journal

"Everything we have is a gift," or at least that's what Dyamonde's mom says. It takes a while for Dyamonde to appreciate this truth, but, when she does, she helps others to understand it as well. When classmate Tameeka shows up with expensive sneakers, Dyamonde takes her friend's advice and demands red sneakers for herself. Mrs. Daniel, after a moment of soft, scary speaking, decides that her daughter needs to learn a lesson about want versus need and packs away almost all of Dyamonde's clothes, forcing her to wear the same outfit to school, even when it gets dirty. When her classmate's house burns down, Dyamonde realizes the lesson her mother is trying to teach her and organizes a clothing drive for her friend. Third in a series, this chapter book continues to introduce interesting secondary characters to keep Dyamonde's young fans engaged. Christie's modern black-and-white illustrations are perfect for the urban setting. Dyamonde's readers will enjoy seeing a strong, smart African-American girl face the same challenges they do. A treasure. (Fiction. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews