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Nikki Grimes Author Study
Ariel Cornett, Debbie Diner, Kelly Farley,
Tori O’Shea, Carolyn Crabtree
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Nikki Grime’s World
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Born in Harlem, NY on October 20, 1950
This was the place of the Harlem Renaissance
Her parents separated and got back together
multiple times. During these times, Grimes was
in and out of foster care
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Grimes moved to Ossining to live with a foster
family, and it was then she first began to write.
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She began composing verse at the age of six and
prefers the title, “Poet,” over “Storyteller.”
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When she was 13, she gave her first public poetry
reading at the Countee Cullen Library
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Her Life in her Writing
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“For the first five years of my life,
my parents separated and
reunited countless times before
their final split. During this time,
my older sister, Carol, and I were
bounced around from one
relative to another, one foster
home to another, just like the
lead character in Jazmin’s
Notebook.”
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Grimes also writes about foster
homes and being separated from
family in Hopscotch Love, Road to
Paris, and A Dime a Dozen?.
“Books were my survival tool. They were how I got by
and how I coped with things. Books carried me
away.”
-Nikki Grimes
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Life Influences on Work
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Grimes became very close
with her foster family in
Ossining. She had two foster
brothers, Kendall and Brad.
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She ended up leaving them to
go live with her mother. This
inspired the ending of The
Road to Paris.
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“Life can be tough sometimes,
especially if you’re young. I
know.” –Nikki Grimes
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These Days
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Grimes has conducted poetry
readings and lectures at
international schools in Russia,
China, Sweden, and Tanzania.
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She lived in Sweden for six
years, and there she hosted
educational radio programs.
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She is involved with other forms
of art such as singing and
jewelry making.
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Grimes currently lives in
Corona, California
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Outside of writing, her daily life
involves time spent with her
friends, at her church, and
tending to her garden.
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Grimes on Reading and Writing
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“I love language. Language is phenomenal. I have always
been fascinated that one word can mean many different
things. I love the challenge of painting a story in as few
words as possible. I’m also a very direct person and poetry
is a no-nonsense genre.”
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“I love that poetry can make a beeline for the heart.”
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“I was bounced around a lot. I didn’t grow up in a home
where I had my own books. My reading was dependent on
the library. I read ravenously.”
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“Keep in mind that every good writer is a good reader. The
quality of your writing will always reflect the quality of your
reader.”
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More Quotes from Nikki Grimes
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Grimes in Invisible Childhood Interview
-“I've always believed no matter how complex language is, if you
give a child a book to which he can relate, he will do whatever he
needs to be able to read that book.”
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Grimes in What is Goodbye Interview
-“So I wanted to create a tool that would allow children who were
grieving to access their feelings, to know that they were normal,
and to also understand that it would pass.”
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“My recommendation for K through 3 in terms of introducing
poetry is, first of all, to get beyond the sense of intimidation about
sharing poetry. What I've discovered is that most adults have had a
really unhappy experience with poetry in their own student life,
and so they're kind of put off at the very notion of sharing poetry
with their students. So, it's important to remember that if you
present poetry as if it were castor oil, no one will like it.
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Awards
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A New York Times Bestselling Author.
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Praise for:
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Bronx Masquerade: 2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award
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Jazmin’s Notebook: Coretta Scott Honor Book and Bank Street College
Book of the Year
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Meet Danitra Brown: ALA Notable and Coretta Scott King Honor Book
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Hopscotch Love and Aneesa Lee and the Weaver’s Gift: American
Bookseller Pick of the List
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Come Sunday: An ALA Notable
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Talkin’ Bout Bessie: 2003 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Horn Book
Fanfare Book
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2005: Grimes was awarded the Golden Dolphin Award by the Southern
California Children’s Book Association which recognized her range of
works
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Nikki Grimes in the Classroom
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Virginia Standard of Learning- Writing 4.7
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The student will write effective narratives, poems, and explanations:
-Write rhymed, unrhymed, and patterned poetry.
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http://www.nikkigrimes.com/images/pdf/BegnPoem.pdf
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“Begin a Poem with a Picture”
Writing poetry can be a daunting task for an elementary school
student. Nikki Grimes recommends using a visual image to jump start
the poem writing process. This is a great opportunity for students to
write descriptively about an image and eventually turn the piece of
writing into the poem. The link above shows Nikki Grimes giving
students an example of how she writes her poems using second, third,
and even fourth drafts! This is a great opportunity for students to stretch
their thinking and learn how to write effective poems.
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Nikki Grimes in the Classroom
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3.10 The student will write letters and will:
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A) Use a variety of planning strategies.
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B )Organize information according to the type of writing.
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C) Identify the intended audience.
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D )Revise writing for specific vocabulary and information
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Grimes’ children’s book Old Man Blue is a text that will allow the students to
reflect on friends or family members who have been a positive influence in
their lives, just as Blue was for Damon. Students will have the opportunity to
write a letter to this person thanking them for their shared times together.
The lesson could focus on modeling the parts of a letter, letter organization,
and the ability to proofread and revise a piece of writing. The content of the
letter should include reasons why this person has had a positive influence
on the student with specific details of a shared memory together. This
assignment offers the students the opportunity to make a personal
connection with a specific text as well as personal reflection and practice
with letter writing.
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Websites
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www.nikkigrimesauthorstudy.wikispaces.com
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Teacher Tips
http://www.nikkigrimes.com/teacher.html
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Visiting Authors Spotlight on Nikki Grimes
http://www.visitingauthors.com/authors/grimes_nikki/grimes_nikki_bi
o.html
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Reading Rockets: Teaching Kids to Read and Helping those who
Struggle A Series of Video Interviews
Topics Include: Difficult Childhood, Invisible Childhood,What is Goodbye?
www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/grimes/
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Poetry Foundation- Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky on Nikki
Grimes http://www.poetryfoundation.org/article/179705
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Resources
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"A Video Interview with Nikki Grimes | Reading Rockets."
Reading Comprehension & Language Arts Teaching Strategies
for Kids | Reading Rockets.WETA Washington, DC, 2011.Web.
Dec. 2011.
<http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/grimes/>.
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Grimes, Nikki. Nikki Grimes Children's Book Author Poet. 2011.
Web. Dec. 2011. http://www.nikkigrimes.com
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”Meet the Author." Reading Is Fundamental. RIF Reading
Planet, 2011. Web. Dec. 2011.
<http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/grimes.ht
m>.
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Nikki Grimes' Biography." Visitingauthors.com Homepage.
Web. 9 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.visitingauthors.com/authors/grimes_nikki/grime
s_nikki_bio.html>.
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Prelutsky, Jack. "She Speaks in the Voice of a Child by Jack
Prelutsky." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 2011. Web.