# Nikki Grimes > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nikki_Grimes > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nikki_Grimes.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikki_Grimes > Source revision: 1354766385 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American writer and illustrator (born 1950) Nikki Grimes Born (1950-10-20) October 20, 1950 (age 75) Harlem, New York, U.S. Occupation Writer, artist Period 1977–present Genre Children's picture books and novels Notable works Bronx Masquerade Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope Danitra Brown Notable awards Coretta Scott King Award (2002) Children's Literature Legacy Award (2017) Website nikkigrimes.com **Nikki Grimes** (born October 20, 1950) is an American author of books written for children and young adults, as well as a [poet](/source/Poet) and [journalist](/source/Journalist). ## Background and career Grimes was born on October 20, 1950, in [Harlem, New York](/source/Harlem). In a conversation with a [Reading Is Fundamental](/source/Reading_Is_Fundamental) interviewer, she stated: "Books were my survival tools. They were how I got by, and how I coped with things. Books carried me away."[1] Grimes has been a guest lecturer at [international schools](/source/International_school) in [Sweden](/source/Sweden), [Tanzania](/source/Tanzania), [China](/source/China), and [Russia](/source/Russia). She has written articles for magazines such as *Today's Christian Woman* and *[Essence](/source/Essence_(magazine))*. Grimes' interests and talents are diverse and include [photography](/source/Photography), [fiber art](/source/Fiber_art), and [beading](/source/Beadwork). Grimes currently resides in [Corona, California](/source/Corona%2C_California), and continues to write poetry and books for children and young adults. She is on the board of directors for the [National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance](/source/National_Children's_Book_and_Literacy_Alliance). Grimes' work has earned her honors and recognition from a number of prestigious organizations. Grimes' novel *Bronx Masquerade* was named the Coretta Scott King Award book in 2002. The [Coretta Scott King Award](/source/Coretta_Scott_King_Award) is "given to [African-American](/source/African-American) authors and illustrators for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions."[2] In January 2017, Grimes was awarded the [Laura Ingalls Wilder Award](/source/Laura_Ingalls_Wilder_Award), which "honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children."[3] Following controversy surrounding Laura Ingalls Wilder's stereotypical portrayals of Indigenous peoples and the subsequent changing of the medal's name to the **Children's Literature Legacy Award**. However, Grimes' work was criticized for alleged [antisemitism](/source/Antisemitism).[4] ## Works ### Published works - *Growin': a novel* (1977), illustrated by Charles Lilly - *Something on My Mind* (1978), art by Tom Feelings - *Malcolm X: A Force for Change* (1992) - *From a Child's Heart* (1993), illustrated by Brenda Joysmith - *Meet Danitra Brown* (1994), illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book) - *Portrait of Mary* (1994) - *Come Sunday* (1996), illustrated by Michael Bryant - *Wild, Wild Hair* (1997), illustrated by George Cephas Ford - *Jazmin's Notebook* (1998) (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book) - *A Dime a Dozen* (1998), illustrated by Angelo - *My Man Blue* (1999), illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue (Marion Vannett Ridgway Award) - *Hopscotch Love* (1999), illustrated by Melodye Benson Rosales - *At Break of Day* (1999), illustrated by Paul Morin - *Aneesa Lee and the Weaver's Gift* (2000), illustrated by [Ashley Bryan](/source/Ashley_Bryan) - *Is It Far to Zanzibar?* (2000), illustrated by Betsy Lewin - *Shoe Magic* (2001), illustrated by Terry Widener - *A Pocketful of Poems* (2001), illustrated by [Javaka Steptoe](/source/Javaka_Steptoe) - *Under the Christmas Tree* (2002), illustrated by Kadir Nelson - *Danitra Brown Leaves Town* (2002), illustrated by Floyd Cooper - *Stepping Out with Grandma Mac* (2002), illustrated by Angelo - *C Is for City* (2002), illustrated by Pat Cummings - *When Daddy Prays* (2002), illustrated by Tim Ladwig - *Bronx Masquerade* (2002), (Coretta Scott King Author Award) (Best Children's Book of 2002, Association of Theological Booksellers) - *Talkin' About Bessie* (2002), illustrated by [E.B. Lewis](/source/E._B._Lewis_(illustrator)) (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Author Honor Book) - *Tai Chi Morning* (2004), illustrated by [Ed Young](/source/Ed_Young_(illustrator)) - *A Day with Daddy* (2004), illustrated by Nicole Tadgell - *What Is Goodbye?* (2004), illustrated by Raul Colón ([ALA Notable Book](/source/ALA_Notable_Book)) - *It's Raining Laughter*, photographs by Myles C. Pinkney - *At Jerusalem's Gate*, illustrated by David Frampton - *Danitra Brown, Class Clown* (2005), illustrated by [E.B. Lewis](/source/E._B._Lewis_(illustrator)) - *Dark Sons* (2005, reissued 2010), (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book) - *Thanks a Million* (2006), illustrated by Cozbi A. Carrera - *Welcome, Precious* (2006), illustrated by [Bryan Collier](/source/Bryan_Collier) - *[The Road to Paris](/source/The_Road_to_Paris)* (2006), (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book) - *When Gorilla Goes Walking* (2007), illustrate by Shane Evans - *Oh, Brother!* (2007), illustrated by Mike Benny - *Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope* (2008), illustrated by [Bryan Collier](/source/Bryan_Collier) (NY Times Bestseller) - *Out of the Dark: Nikki Grimes, Author at Work* (2009) - *Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel* (2009), illustrated by R. Gregory Christie - *Rich: a Dyamonde Daniel Book* (2009), illustrated by R. Gregory Christie - *Voices of Christmas* (2009), illustrated by [Eric Velasquez](/source/Eric_Velasquez) - *A Girl Named Mister* (2011) - *Almost Zero: a Dyamonde Daniel Book* (2010), illustrated by R. Gregory Christie - *Planet Middle School* (2011) - *Halfway to Perfect* (2012) - *Words with Wings* (2013), Coretta Scott King Honor book - *Chasing Freedom* (2015), illustrated by Michele Wood - *Poems in the Attic* (2015), illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon - *Garvey's Choice* (2016) - *One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance* (2017), various artists - *The Watcher* (2017), illustrated by Bryan Collier - *Ordinary Hazards: a Memoir* (2019) - *Bedtime for Sweet Creatures* (2020), illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon - *Southwest Sunrise* (2020), illustrated by Wendell Minor - *Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice* (2020), illustrated by Laura Freeman - *Off to See the Sea* (2021), illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon ## Awards and honors - 1993 NAACP Image Award Finalist for Malcolm X: a Force for Change - 2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award for *Bronx Masquerade* - 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children - 2011 Horace Mann Upstanders Award for *Almost Zero: a Dyamonde Daniel Book* - 2012 NAACP Image Award for *Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope* - 2016 Virginia Hamilton Literacy Award - 2017 [Myra Cohn Livingston Award](/source/Myra_Cohn_Livingston_Award) for Poetry for *Garvey's Choice* - 2017 Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal - 2017 [Children's Literature Legacy Award](/source/Children's_Literature_Legacy_Award) - 2018 Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Middle Graders for *One Last Word* - 2018 Claudia Lewis Poetry Award for *One Last Word* - 2018 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for *One Last Word* - 2020 Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Teens for *Ordinary Hazards* Grimes has received numerous Honor Awards and book lists including Coretta Scott King Honors; Arnold Adoff Poetry Honor; ALA Notable Books; Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor; Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor; Horn Book Fanfare; VOYA Non-Fiction Honor; The Lion & The Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry; International Youth Library White Ravens List; Notable Books for a Global Society. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Nikki Grimes - Author"](http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/grimes.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090916210525/http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/grimes.htm) 2009-09-16 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Reading is Fundamental. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Bronx Masquerade | ALA"](https://www.ala.org/winner/bronx-masquerade-0). *www.ala.org*. Retrieved 2024-10-13. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Nikki Grimes wins 2017 Wilder Award | ALA"](https://www.ala.org/news/2011/11/nikki-grimes-wins-2017-wilder-award). *www.ala.org*. Retrieved 2024-10-13. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["As Literary Award Changes Its Name to Escape Allegations of Racism, Instances of Anti-Semitism Go Unnoticed – Tablet Magazine"](https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/265996/as-literary-award-changes-its-name-to-escape-allegations-of-racism-instances-of-anti-semitism-go-unnoticed). *www.tabletmag.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180709224047/https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/265996/as-literary-award-changes-its-name-to-escape-allegations-of-racism-instances-of-anti-semitism-go-unnoticed) from the original on 2018-07-09. Retrieved 2018-07-10. ## External links - [Official website](http://www.nikkigrimes.com) - [HarperCollins](http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/16749/Nikki_Grimes/index.aspx) - [Scholastic.com](http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=1581) - [Simon & Schuster](http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Nikki-Grimes/1279566) - [Zondervan](http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310711926&QueryStringSite=Zondervan) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091117195453/http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310711926&QueryStringSite=Zondervan) 2009-11-17 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) - [2009 National Book Festival webcast](https://www.loc.gov/bookfest/2009/authors/Grimes.html) - [National Children's Book & Literary Alliance Board of Directors](http://www.thencbla.org/biopages/biogrimes.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100317222838/http://www.thencbla.org/biopages/biogrimes.html) 2010-03-17 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) - [Spotlight on NCTE Poets: Nikki Grimes - career overview at No Water River blog](https://www.nowaterriver.com/spotlight-on-ncte-poets-nikki-grimes-with-lee-bennett-hopkins/) [Library resources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:The_Wikipedia_Library) about **Nikki Grimes** - [Online books](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=45753396&library=OLBP) - [Resources in your library](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=45753396) - [Resources in other libraries](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?st=viaf&su=45753396&library=0CHOOSE0) **By Nikki Grimes** - [Online books](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=45753396&library=OLBP) - [Resources in your library](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=45753396) - [Resources in other libraries](https://ftl.toolforge.org/cgi-bin/ftl?at=viaf&au=45753396&library=0CHOOSE0) ### Interviews - [Reading Rockets video interview](http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/grimes) - [James Blasingame interviews Nikki Grimes](https://www.jstor.org/pss/40014099) - [Author interview from *Preview* Magazine, 2002](http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000005089,00.html?sym=QUE) - [*Christian Standard* interview](http://www.christianstandard.com/interview.asp?id=734) - [Reading is Fundamental interview](http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/grimes.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090916210525/http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/grimes.htm) 2009-09-16 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) - [IRA Favorite Teacher Breakfast video](http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/media.jsp?id=826) - [Author Nikki Grimes Appears in New Haven video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQkTyykiOxk) on [YouTube](/source/YouTube_video_(identifier)) - [Lee Bennett Hopkins on the Career of Nikki Grimes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGOe_WVmwPs&t=162s) on YouTube v t e NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children 1990s Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales and True Tales – Virginia Hamilton (1995) No Award (1996) No Award (1997) Let My People Go: Bible Stories Told by a Freeman of Color – Patricia McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack Jr. (1998) No Award If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks – Faith Ringgold (1999) 2000s Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children – Sandra Pinkney (2000) Just the Two of Us – Will Smith (2001) Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales – Nelson Mandela (2002) My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Christine King Farris (2003) The 1963 Civil Rights March – Sabrina Crewe (2004) Girls Hold Up This World – Jada Pinkett Smith (2005) Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom – Carole Boston Weatherford (2006) Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson – Sue Stauffacher (2007) Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope – Nikki Grimes (2008) Our Children Can Soar – Michelle Cook (2009) 2010s My Brother Charlie – Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete (2010) You Can Be a Friend – Tony and Lauren Dungy (2011) What Color is My World – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with Raymond Obstfeld (2012) Nelson Mandela – Kadir Nelson (2013) Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Happily Ever After – Rachel Renée Russell (2014) Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America – Carole Boston Weatherford (2015) Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas – Gwendolyn Hooks (2016) Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History – Vashti Harrison (2017) Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race – Margot Lee Shetterly (2018) Sulwe – Lupita Nyong'o (2019) 2020s She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm – Katheryn Russell-Brown (2020) Stacey’s Extraordinary Words – Stacey Abrams (2021) Stacey’s Remarkable Books – Stacey Abrams (2022) Crowned: Magical Folk and Fairy Tales from the Diaspora – Kahran Bethencourt (2023) You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book – Taraji P. Henson and Paul Kellam (2024) Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark – Allen R. Wells and DeAndra Hodge (2025) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Japan Netherlands Korea Israel Other Open Library Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nikki Grimes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikki_Grimes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikki_Grimes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.