The Diamond and the Boy: The Creation of Diamonds & The… (2024)

This book pairs the fascinating biography of H. Tracy Hall with the non-fiction scientific story of how diamonds are made. Kids who like science & who are interested in diamonds will enjoy this story. It will also appeal to non-fiction biography fans. This lyrical and poetic book is better for slightly older children in elementary school due to the subject matter. The kids enjoyed this book and voted to give it 5 stars.

I enjoyed the lyrical language and the parallel but overlapping stories: one tells of how the author's grandfather, Tray Hall, grew up to become a diamond making machine. The other tells the story of a diamond being created. I appreciated the clever way Holt shows the similarities between the development of young Tracy Hall and a diamond. The language flows smoothly and is fun to read aloud.

4.5. Interesting story how man-made diamonds came to be. Jay Fleck's illustrations are a good addition

The juxtaposition of the diamond and the boy was so clever. I don’t love when picture books make you change the orientation to read, but I loved this book so much that didn’t even subtract a star for me.

THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY is a unique, masterfully written picture book that simultaneously describes the process of natural diamond formation and the life of Tracy J. Hall, the man who invented the process for making artificial diamonds. Its format is so complex I initially thought it wouldn't be a good selection for my four-year-old, but the prose was so smooth and beautiful that I tried it. My son was super involved in the story and full of questions ("Is that REAL?"). I suspect he's going to ask to read this one over and over, and then come up with more and more complex questions for the next few weeks.

This book would be great for kids who like some of my son's other favorites: OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW by Kate Messner, UNDER WATER, UNDER EARTH by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski, and FLYING DEEP by Michelle Cusolito.

There were a couple of design choices in this book that I didn't love, especially the page that required me to turn the book sideways halfway through. This might work well in a classroom setting, but it's awkward for a lap read.

I love the way the two parallel stories work together and the beautiful language used in both. On many pages the author uses some of the same language to describe the diamond and the boy. This adds to both the beauty and interest of the story. What does it mean for a rock to experience pressure? What does it mean for a human? What does it mean for a crystal to be brilliant? What does it mean for a human? This is a wonderful science book and a wonderful picture book biography. Tracy could be an inspiration to many aspiring scientists, engineers and inventors, especially those dealing with the challenges of poverty.

A fascinating double story following both the challenging life of a brilliant boy, H Tracy Hall, and the metaphorically parallel forces that make a diamond. I had no idea what I was in for; what a delight to find such lyrical language weaving the two true tales together and bringing to life the fascinating process of the formation of natural and man-made diamonds. The final pages provide a history of humanity’s relationship with diamonds, as well as further insight into the man who changed modern history.

I love when books bring history alive for young readers! And THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY does exactly that!
Masterfully lyrical text marries with outstanding illustrations to convey the story of a young boy who overcame many obstacles. The unique format of comparing the progression in the life of the boy with the progression of life in the formation of the diamond is mesmerizing. This is a book that will appeal to all children, but especially those who are intrigued with STEM.
I highly recommend this for every classroom and home bookshelf!

The Diamond and the Boy: The Creation of Diamonds The Life of H. Tracy Hall is a children's picture book written by Hannah Holt and illustrated by Jay Fleck. Holt tells the stories of both the creation of natural diamonds and the invention of synthetic diamonds.

Howard Tracy Hall was an American physical chemist and the first person who grew a synthetic diamond by a reproducible, verifiable, and witnessed process, using a press of his own design.

Holt's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. In two, parallel free-verse narratives, Holt describes both histories with the verso telling how diamonds are naturally made and the recto describes the process Hall used to make artificial diamonds. Backmatter includes scientific note, biographical note, timeline, bibliography. Fleck uses full-bleed spreads of bold colors and simple lines, rendered with pencil and digitally, to effectively emphasize the scope and significance of both creations, cannily varying the palette to emphasize the parallel structure.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. In dual narratives Holt describes how diamonds are naturally made, harvested, and eventually cut and polished. While with the other narrative shares the life of H. Tracy Hall (Holt's grandfather) from his childhood through his invention of his diamond-producing machine.

All in all, The Diamond and the Boy: The Creation of Diamonds The Life of H. Tracy Hall is a gem of a biography – in fact it is a diamond!

Absolutely love the dual narrative in this book because it shows how something, graphite, and someone, Tracy Hall, both unappreciated in their younger life can turn into treasures. The narrative also highlights the fact that when people spend time putting items or people down, instead of celebrating strengths, that riches go unnoticed. Within the text itself, readers see how Tracy Hall overcame bullying and poverty to become a successful inventor. The backmatter talks about the challenges the author, Hannah Holt, had in getting to know her grandfather because of his memory loss. I'll be using this text in my classroom in a couple of different ways. I'll pair it with Melissa Stewart's Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs and with Patricia Polacco's Thank you, Mr. Falker to talk about bullying. I'll also pair it with Jessie Oliveros' The Remeber Balloons and Minh Le's Drawn Together to talk about ways to strengthen relationships between intergenerational family members.

Two wonderful stories in one book told together as one unique and educational story. Hannah Holt has worked magic with her words to tell her grandfather H. Tracy Hall’s story of a difficult childhood, a boy with a curious mind, and a man who invents the machine that makes the man-made diamond. But Holt doesn’t stop there. On alternating pages we get to see her lyrical voice share the story of a rock that mirrors H. Tracy Hall’s journey in its own journey through the earth, waiting deep below in heat, feeling the pressure build and on and on until, the natural diamond is born. This skillfully told parallel story is enhanced by wonderfully creative Jay Fleck’s illustrations. Not only is the story an engaging pleasure to read, it also provides an excellent message of overcoming hardship and struggle through patience, persistence, and drive. Sometimes the way things begin is not the way they end. The story also includes back matter about how both the natural diamond and the man-made diamond have impacted humans in positive and negative ways.

Holt creates a totally unique picture book using free verse text that mirrors its two subjects, diamonds and H. Tracy Hall, over time. Each parallel section of the text is displayed on either side of the double spread, with the diamond information on the left and Hall’s biography on the right, often starting both parts with the same word or phrase to hone in on the mirroring effect. Fleck’s pencil (with digital color) illustrations use primary shades to create clean images and silhouettes that clearly display the passage of time, both for the diamond and Tracy Hall’s life. The back matter includes further information about diamonds, Tracy Hall’s life (which reveals that the author is his granddaughter), a timeline, and a selected bibliography. Teachers will find multiple uses for this engaging picture book, whether as a fascinating biography or as part of a lesson in geology for children in grades 3-5.

Told in a unique dual-narrative format, The Diamond and the Boy follows the stories of both natural diamond creation and the life of H. Tracy Hall, the inventor of a revolutionary diamond-making machine. Perfect for fans of Rosie Revere, Engineer, and On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein.

Before a diamond is a gem, it’s a common gray rock called graphite. Through an intense trial of heat and pressure, it changes into one of the most valuable stones in the world.

Before Tracy Hall was an inventor, he was a boy—born into poverty, bullied by peers, forced to work at an early age. However, through education and experimentation, he became one of the brightest innovators of the twentieth century, eventually building a revolutionary machine that makes diamonds.

From debut author Hannah Holt—the granddaughter of Tracy Hall—and illustrator Jay Fleck comes this fascinating in-depth portrait of both rock and man.

This little gem of a book does a lot of things well in the most economical ways. Hannah Holt's dual narrative format catches the reader's attention and interest not only because of its novelty, but because it helps one feel that Tracy Hall was the one meant to make this discovery. The echoing language throughout in describing the process of the formation of brilliance from ashen rock or poverty is a wonderful device in illustrating the metamorphosis Hall made and diamonds make. A balm for those trying to go after "big dreams", as it reminds us of the patience needed to see things through, even in the face of great adversity and circ*mstance.

Jay Fleck's artwork is bright and at times almost feels like it glows. With clean lines, it further illuminates Holt's lyrical prose.

An interesting read, especially for children interested in how things work.

This is such a brilliant book on so many levels. First, the side-by-side layout is unlike anything I've seen before in a picture book. The author tells two stories--the story of the graphite (on the left) and the story of Tracy Hall (on the right). Then, the beautiful, lyrical language, some of it an echo between the two stories, clearly illustrates the parallels between the graphite and Tracy. The illustrations suit the story well--of a boy who as a poor child loved books and outscored the 12th graders, then went on to invent a machine that turned dust into diamonds. The back matter is fascinating--as concerns that diamond industry as well as the author's own personal connection to Tracy Hall (her grandfather). A stunning book that will not soon leave my mind.

Told in alternation POVs, THE DIAMOND AND THE BOY tells the story of how the diamond is created and the history of H. Tracy Hall, the inventor of a diamond-making machine. The story is told in a poem format that is both educational and intriguing.

The illustrations are eye-catching and the facts are relative to those interested in diamonds and learning. The reader learns things that they might've not known, like that H. Tracy Hall was bullied. This is a heartfelt story about H. Tracy Hall with the addition of how diamonds form. It is both educational and interesting.

Final Verdict: This is perfect for fans of diamonds, learning new things, history, and innovation. This book even got the wheels in my brain turning with new facts.

A very unique story -- the dual narrative (in free-verse poems on opposite pages) of how a diamond is formed, and how an inventor was formed (H. Tracy Hall, who invented a machine to create man-made diamonds). Backmatter gives an excellent brief overview of diamonds, including how their value was inflated by De Beers' monopoly, and how they became "blood diamonds" used to fund conflict in Africa.

Personally, I did not realize the many industrial uses of diamonds and that most of these are man-made -- the man-made ones are rarely used for jewelry. I always pictured a diamond ring on the end of a drill bit, and a man-made diamond on someone's finger, interchangeably!

"A crystal, even a priceless one, is still only a lump in the dirt until it is found."

A detailed non-fiction story of the life of H. Tracy Hall and his invention of man-made diamonds. The detail about the geology of diamond forming and the story of the boy on opposite pages inventing man-made diamonds used to make drill bits and industrial tools is voluminous. The author has done her research about her grandfather and his trial and error to find the solution and technique to making man-made diamonds used for tools and later in jewelry. The back matter about the man's life and the diamond wars in Africa is interesting but appeals to older audiences than most picture book reading children. Would make a good resource for older grade students writing reports about tools with diamond bits and how they came about.

This picture book biography is two dual free verse poems that tell two parallel stories. On the left side of the page, readers learn how natural diamonds are created by the earth. On the right side of the page, they learn how a boy named H. Tracy Hall grew up, experimenting with creating man-made diamonds, finally perfected the process.

Pencil with color and texture added digitally by Jay Fleck add to the reading experience. The book includes a history about diamonds as gemstones, a short biography about Hall, a timeline fusing the two topics, and a selected bibliography of sources.

An intriguing way of presenting science, biography, and the scientific process together.

Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.

This combination remarkable new book parallels a biography and geology processes.written by the granddaughter of the featured subject, inventor H. Tracy Hall. There are powerful comparisons to be made between the eons-long process Earth uses to make natural diamonds, and the life-long process of Hall's transition from struggling and "odd" young boy to struggling adult scientist to a world-changing inventor.
There is huge power in back matter, too, that surrounds and expands the concepts explored in the minimal analogous text. This is a story that will find fans across ages and also serve as a launching text for older learners regarding innovation, social injustice, and many more topics in content areas.

My diamond-obsessed Minecrafter was SO interested in this book. The story is told in a unique format, showing the parallel stories of the formation of a natural diamond, alongside the life of Tracy Hall who invented the machine to make diamonds in a lab. The back matter reveals much more about the diamond trade, machine-made diamonds, and the fact that Tracy Hall was also the author’s grandfather, which makes the book all the more compelling. Most of all what I loved was the message – sometimes success takes a long time and a lot of effort, but persevering through adversity can lead to great things.

An inspiring parallel story of a diamond's birth and transformation in the earth and a young boy's birth and transformation into becoming the inventor of a world-changing diamond-making machine. Holt weaves a wonderful story of both, with a special focus on her grandfather H. Tracy Hall and his persistence and patience through pressure and poverty, while Fleck's simple illustrations allow the parallel structure to shine. Back matter brings to light the diamond industry's sometimes dark past, while shedding light as well on Hall's later life and Holt's relationship with her grandfather, plus the history of diamonds in culture.

The story of how a diamond is formed and the story of how a boy from humble beginnings, Tracy Hall, became an award winning scientist, The Diamond and the Boy is cleverly told, in parallel story arcs which tie satisfyingly together in the end. The language is clever and lyrical. The illustration style and bold color palette add to the appeal. All in all, this story about hardships and rising above to succeed both conveys a wonderful message to young readers and educates at the same time. A book to share with any child who is fascinated by rocks (which is pretty much every child)!

This is a beautifully told dual story of a natural diamond forming in the earth, and a boy/man named Tracy Hall, who is the author's grandfather and inventor of a process for making industrial diamonds. It includes very clever parallels in the tales (both experience pressure, both exhibit patience). The back matter is particularly outstanding. I appreciated that it doesn't shy away from explaining about the violence funded by diamond sales. The details in the note about Tracy Hall and his life add yet another dimension to the story. A winner for the older-PB crowd.

An excellent picture book debut. The structure of the story follows the creation of a natural diamond, and the creation of a man-made diamond, invented by the author's grandfather. Suspense builds in both the natural and the inventor's world. The author also provides enriching back matter: a timeline about the history of diamonds and her grandfather's legacy, photographs of her grandfather, and resources for further learning.

Poetically written parallel story of how diamonds are formed inside the earth, along with the biography of Tracy Hall, who invented the process to create synthetic diamonds. The lyrical language weaves back and forth between the formation of the rock and the growth of the boy, concluding both stories with the discovery of a diamond. The author is the inventor's granddaughter, which gives the story a personal touch.

I really appreciated the flow of the text, with its unique dual narrative structure. The suspense built slowly but tangibly, as we wanted to know how Tracy found his way out of his difficult situation. I wonder if the author could have made it a little clearer what the diamonds Tracy created were used for. I had to read the afterward closely to find this out, and it seemed an essential part of the story.

This is a gem of a book! The story of how a diamond is created is told along side the story of the man who created the process for man-made diamonds. I learned a lot from this little book! The language is rich and thoughtful and pulled me in. It is a story of hope and perseverance. The fact that it's written by the granddaughter of the subject adds a layer of heart. This is a story you can read many times over and make a new discovery every time. Well worth it!

This story has a really interesting structure - parallel stories of the boy and the diamond, using many of same words for both, side by side on each spread. The careful crafting using multiple meanings of words/contexts is very well done and the juxtaposition of two very different things is thought provoking. Kids will be surprised to learn how a man replicated the forces of nature to produce a diamond.

Lyrical yet technical, The Diamond and the Boy is a picture book that encompasses both a gripping human struggle and the scientific process of creating a new material. The fact that it is based on the life of the author’s grandfather makes it all the more special. Side-by-side illustrations in each spread effectively compares and contrasts the geologic with the personal storyline. Hannah Holt successfully brings us a spellbinding story that is both entertaining and heartwarming.