Almost Zero

January 1, 2011

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

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2011
Dyamonde demands that her mother buy her the high-top sneakers she "needs." The next day her clothes disappear, and Mom explains that she only really needs one set. When a classmate's home is destroyed by fire, Dyamonde realizes the distinction between wanting and needing. The character dynamics are pitch perfect, with third-grader Dyamonde realistically balanced between self-confidence and self-doubt.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2010
Dyamonde's mother's voice goes "scary-soft" when Dyamonde demands that her mother buy her the high-top sneakers she "needs." Sure enough, when Dyamonde comes home from school the next day, all of her clothes have disappeared, and her mother calmly explains that if it's her job to give Dyamonde everything she needs, then Dyamonde only really needs one set of clothes. But when a classmate's home is destroyed in a fire, Dyamonde comes to realize the distinction between wanting and needing as she organizes a clothing drive to help out. The family and friend dynamics are pitch perfect, and Grimes portrays third-grader Dyamonde with a very realistic balance of self-confidence and self-doubt as she adjusts to new ideas. This is the third in a series, but it can be read independently, and it's an honest yet funny look at life in families where money is an ongoing issue. Interior art unseen. susan dove lempke

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)