Nikki Grimes

I've never read a lot of poetry, and was pleasantly surprised by the two books by Nikki Grimes that I picked up at the library this weekend.  With vivid, beautiful pictures, Ms. Grimes poetry tells a story in each of the books I read. 

Danitra Brown Leaves Town tells of young Danitra and her friend Zuri. Both are looking forward to summer and spending lots of time playing and absolutely no time studying.  Then Danitra leaves town and Zuri is mad because all of their plans are ruined.  The poetry that follows shows how the girls spent their summer apart AND together by sharing their adventures through writing to each other. 

Oh, Brother! tells of a boy whose mother is remarried.  Using poetry, the author shows us how the boy comes to terms with his step-father and step-brother. 

I know that when I was younger, I never thought poetry was interesting.  It seemed so short and hard to understand because the story seemed so chopped up.  After reading these two stories, I can see that it is a wonderful way to tell a story and convey emotion in very few sentences.  Both of these stories left me feeling that I'd connected with the characters, and I was sorry when the tales ended.  For my first foray into poetry, this was a great choice! 

According to the biography on her website, Nikki Grimes has won many awards for her writing. With a quite eventful childhood, she began writing at a very young age.  She currently lives in California, and travels the world, giving lectures and talks as well as poetry readings. With dozens and dozens of books available, there are many to choose from to add to your library.  Take a look and see! 

Nikki Grimes's books on Amazon