The Diamond and the Boy

The Diamond and the Boy: The Creation of Diamonds & the Life of H. Tracy Hall
By Hannah Holt
Illustrated by Jay Fleck
Balzer + Bray, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. Picture Book Nonfiction.

This unique story tells of two events: first of all it tells how a diamond is made, second it tells about the life of H. Tracy Hall—who happened to be the one who invented the process to create man-made diamonds. Because the two events are told simultaneously, it shows how a lot of heat, pressure, and difficulties help to form diamonds and also helped to shape Hall’s life. For example, in the first stages of making a diamond “heat seeps through the earth’s mantle where the continents collide, making the rock bend sweat weep.” On the opposite page there is a picture of Hall when a boy hiding in an air vent and the text reads, “Heat blows through the air vent at school where he hides from bullies, making Tracy bend sweat weep.” By showing the harsh realities of how a diamond is made alongside the difficulties that Hall had growing up, kids can learn more about the value of diamonds due to how they are formed or shaped—and along the way they will learn the same thing about Hall. Also, as an added note Hall lived in Provo, Utah. So this biography might have even more interest to those who live in our area. This book is a good look at a geological gem as well as a native Utahan who became a great inventor.

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