Nikki Grimes

Dyamonde, a bright, articulate and confident 3rd grader, is entering the library's poetry contest to win the prize money. Then Dyamonde and her friend, Free, learn that their new friend, Damaris, who is also the best poet in their class, lives in a homeless shelter. The duo of friends turns into a trio — who take a different look at what wealth really means.

Two sisters mourn the death of their older brother. This short novel is told in alternating voices of the girls, to reveal one family's process of grieving. Sensitive illustrations augment the gentle, questioning nature of the text.