Third grader Dyamonde Daniel is always smart, usually confident, and sometimes sad since her parents divorced. She doesn’t miss her parents fighting, but she does miss other things since moving, including her old best friend. Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel introduces this dynamic girl who likes math but can’t stand the new boy at her school. Free is always grumpy, but when Dyamonde takes her teacher’s advice and asks him why, she discovers she’s not the only one dealing with unsettling changes in her life. In Rich , Dyamonde and Free, now the best of friends, get to know Damaris, a quiet girl in their class who doesn’t want anyone to know she and her family live in a shelter. Nikki Grimes’s energetic, upbeat new series features an African American protagonist who knows that even when someone faces big challenges, friendship and small acts of kindness make a difference. Number-loving Dyamonde, and Free and Damaris, who like words and poetry, are a delight. (Ages 6–9)