First sentence: You oughta meet Danitra Brown,
the most splendiferous girl in town.
I oughta know, 'cause she's my friend.
She's not afraid to take a dare.
If something's hard, she doesn't care.
She'll try her best, no matter what.
She doesn't mind what people say.
She always does things her own way.
Her spirit's old, my mom once said.
I only know I like her best
'cause she sticks out from all the rest.
She's only she--Danitra Brown.

Premise/plot: Zuri Jackson, the protagonist, is sharing a collection of poems about her best, best, best, best, best friend, Danitra Brown. The book celebrates friendship and life (and youth). Each poem is illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. There are more in the series. Sadly my library doesn't have the others. The illustrations capture such timeless 'small' moments in life. They are just a JOY. So expressive, so wonderful. The poems also celebrate the 'small' moments in life. Each poem highlights the friendship between these two girls--the ups and downs and everything in between. ( )

This is a book of poems that are written about a best friend and all that makes her unique and special. Author's voice comes through very clearly as she touches on bullying, being a daughter of a single parent, school, hopes, dreams, being an African American girl, and how two are better than one. A Coretta Scott King Honor Book. ( )

The first of 3 stories Nikki Grimes has written with the characters Danitra and Zuri, this story introduces who Dantria Brown is. It is apparent that Zuri admires Danitra, and Danitra seems to be this girl who always knows what to say to cheer Zuri up when she's feeling down. This is another one of Grimes stories that has that apparent theme of friendship that I think many students can relate to. ( )

I really enjoyed this book because the overall written language is the poems are very powerful and have incredible meanings. The first reason why I liked this book is because the artwork supports the text. Under the poem titled, “Meet Danitra Brown”, the illustration shows the main characters features while the poem is describing Danitra. The illustrations are all beautifully drawled and have power to them, due to the mood of the story. The second reason why I enjoyed this book is because of the writing. The author does an amazing job with engaging the readers to the book. Under the poem. “Mom and me only”, readers can relate if they do not have a father figure in their life and/or only have a mother. The poem talks about parent’s night at school and how Danitra gets mad because her mom is the only one coming without Danita’s dad. However, then she changes her point of view and remembers that she is not lonely and that she loves spending time with just her mom. Readers can relate to this poem if one has the same family structure. I another poem titled, “Coke-bottle brown” the author uses powerful words to create a powerful overall meaning. This is definitely one of my favorite poems in the book due to how strong the reader is caught up in the poem. The book pushes readers to think about situations and broadens perspectives to some readers that have not experienced different family styles. The overall message of this book is the power of friendship. In the beginning of the book, Danitra meets a friend named Zuri and they become best of friends. Zuri helps Danitra with overcoming struggles in her life. ( )

I enjoyed this book for two reasons. The first was the plot. In this book there was a girl named Danitra who constantly saw the positive side to life despite being bullied or having hardships. The second thing that I liked was the point of view. The story was told from the point of view of Danitra's friend. I liked this because it showed how someone's attitude and the way they carry themselves can inspire others to be the same. I believe the main point or the big picture of this story is to accept yourself even if others don't. ( )