- Children's Room
- Monday, August 24, 2020
iRead features the best ebooks, eaudiobooks and print books for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff.
Children's Author | Nikki Grimes
Nikki Grimes | Photo by Aaron Lemen
Ms. Grimes is an author, an artist and musician. She is also a photographer, singer, dancer, and jewelry maker. Having written or contributed to more than 75 books, she has traveled the world sharing her many talents.
Born and raised in New York City, Nikki Grimes has earned several accolades for her writing and poetry. She began writing at the age of 6 and continues to do so today. Ms. Grimes has said that reading and writing helped her get through her darkest times as a child. As a child, she was in and out of foster homes and often separated from her sister.
Libraries and books were a large part of her childhood, but of all the books that she read, she rarely, if ever, saw characters who she could relate to, or who looked like her or had experiences like her. Her familiarity with being unseen in the books she read inspired her to write and create books and poetry for children like her. She wrote to make the invisibility of her experiences--visible. Helping children process grief through stories is a significant part of her writing. She wants children to see themselves in literature.
AWARDS
- 2020 ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to the field of adolescent literature
- 2017 Children’s Literature Legacy Award
- 2016 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award
- 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children
- 2002 Coretta Scott King Book Award
Contributed by Anne Clifton-Katz | Children's Room Librarian
Anne's favorite books by Nikki Grimes:
- Dyamonde Daniel series
- Garvey’s Choice
- Oh, Brother!
- Welcome Precious
- Words With Wings