Nikki Grimes, a bestselling author known for titles such as Dark Sons, Barak Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope, and Voices of Christmas has written a gripping book from the perspective of a girl named Mister (Mary Rudine) who finds herself momentarily distracted from her faith commitment to purity by a handsome boy named Trey. After one night of weakness, Mister finds her entire life has changed, even if she can’t yet accept all the changes occurring within her are real. When the emotional scars of losing her innocence are more lasting than she imagined, Mister turns to a book of her mother’s, which contains poems from Mary’s perspective. As both Mister and Mary’s voices play out in the story, a full and meaningful portrait of Christian faith, trust, and forgiveness emerges, along with the truth that God can use even the most unplanned events in our lives for his greater glory.

The #1 New York Times bestselling picture-book biography of President Barack Obama.

Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope. Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn’t quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.

This is the moving story of our 44th President, told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Barack Obama has motivated Americans to believe with him, to believe that every one of us has the power to change ourselves and change our world.

A sweet bedtime story from the award-winning author Nikki Grimes about a mother, her little boy, and their imagination-fueled and animal filled journey to get to sleep.

It’s bedtime. But Mommy’s little one is not sleepy.

He growls like a bear, he questions like an owl, he tosses his mane like a lion. He hunts for water like a sly wolf, and hides like a snake.

Mommy needs to wrangle her sweet creature for sleep in this endearing and imagination-fueled journey to bedtime, from Children’s Literature Legacy Award-winning author Nikki Grimes and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Zunon.

This thought-provoking companion to Nikki Grimes’ Coretta Scott King Award-winning Bronx Masquerade shows the capacity poetry has to express ideas and feelings, and connect us with ourselves and others. Darrian dreams of writing for the New York Times. To hone his skills and learn more about the power of words, he enrolls in Mr. Ward’s class, known for its open-mic poetry readings and boys vs. girls poetry slam. Everyone in class has something important to say, and in sharing their poetry, they learn that they all face challenges and have a story to tell-whether it’s about health problems, aging out of foster care, being bullied for religious beliefs, or having to take on too much responsibility because of an addicted parent. As Darrian and his classmates get to know one another through poetry, they bond over the shared experiences and truth that emerge from their writing, despite their private struggles and outward differences.

Acclaimed poet, novelist, journalist, and educator Nikki Grimes was born and raised in New York City. Each of the 18 kids in Mr. Ward’s inner city classroom has something important to say, but some don’t even realize it. Then Mr. Ward begins to have “open mic” poetry slams once a month on Fridays. Young adult listeners will identify with the characters in Bronx Masquerade as they explore questions about life and self-expression. “As always, Grimes gives young people exactly what they’re looking for-real characters who show them they are not alone.”-School Library Journal

Nikki Grimes offers a glimpse into the inspiring lives of Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman, with breathtaking illustrations by Michele Wood! What if Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony sat down over tea to reminisce about their extraordinary lives? What would they recall of their triumphs and struggles as they fought to achieve civil rights for African Americans and equal rights for women? And what other historical figures played parts in their stories? These questions led Coretta Scott King Award winner Nikki Grimes to create CHASING FREEDOM, an engaging work of historical fiction about two of the nineteenth century’s most powerful, and inspiring, American women. With breathtaking illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Michele Wood, CHASING FREEDOM richly imagines the experiences of Tubman and Anthony, set against the backdrop of the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Additional back matter invites curious young readers to further explore this period in history–and the larger-than-life figures who lived it.

“Both lyrical and powerful, Grimes’ unusual novel is mediation on faith and father-son relationships … Grimes’ commanding metaphors, authoritative style and complex characterizations are uniquely compelling.”—Publisher’s Weekly, starred review“The elemental connections and the hope (“You made it / in the end / and so will I’) will speak to a wide audience.”—Booklist, starred reviewA guy whose fatherripped his heart out too.Me and you, Ishmael,we’re brothers,two dark sons.Betrayed, lost, and isolated, the perspectives of two teenage boys—modern-day Sam and biblical Ishmael—unite over millennia to illustrate the power of forgiveness.

What can one voice do?

As the first rumblings of the pandemic sound around Garvey, he hardly notices.

Caught up with his friends, school, chorus, and his newfound relationship with his father, he doesn’t imagine that the new disease adults are talking about could touch him.

But it will.

When everything changes, when fear moves in, and when all seems dark, Garvey feels helpless. Yet one voice–Garvey’s voice–can be a powerful spark in the dark …

Garvey’s father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading-anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father-by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports. This emotionally resonant novel in verse by award-winning author Nikki Grimes celebrates choosing to be true to yourself.

Jazmin Shelby was “born with clenched fists”-which is okay, since she’s got a lot of fighting ahead of her. Her dad died a couple of years back, and now that her mom’s in the hospital, it’s just her and her big sister, CeCe. But that’s fine by Jazmin. She’s got her friends, her school, lots of big plans for the future-and a zest for life and laughter that’s impossible to resist.

A Coretta Scott King Honor Book
A Booklist Editors’ Choice Book
A Child Study Children’s Book Committee Children’s Book of the Year

In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse. Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night – and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki’s notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this accessible and inspiring memoir that will resonate with young readers and adults alike, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards – ordinary and extraordinary – of her life.

New York Times best-selling author Nikki Grimes has received numerous accolades for her writing, including the Coretta Scott King Award. In Planet Middle School, 12-year-old Joylin Johnson is satisfied with her life. Everything seems pretty simple: a nice, relaxed game of basketball with the boys is all she needs to keep her happy. But it all changes when her best girl friend starts flirting with her best guy friend. Then a new, cute boy comes on the scene-and despite herself, Joylin starts acting weird just to attract his attention.

During a visit to her grandma’s house, a young girl discovers a box of poems in the attic, poems written by her mother when she was growing up. Her mother’s family often moved around the United States and the world because her father was in the Air Force. Over the years, her mother used poetry to record her experiences in the many places the family lived. Reading the poems and sharing those experiences through her mother’s eyes, the young girl feels closer to her mother than ever before. To let her mother know this, she creates a gift: a book with her own poems and copies of her mother’s. And when she returns her mother’s poems to the box in the attic, she leaves her own poems too, for someone else to find, someday. Using free verse for the young girl’s poems and tanka for her mother’s, master poet Nikki Grimes creates a tender intergenerational story that speaks to every child’s need to hold onto special memories of home, no matter where that place might be.

Popular author Nikki Grimes won the Coretta Scott King Award for Bronx Masquerade. When Paris’ mother snaps again, beloved brother Malcolm is carted off to a boys’ home and Paris is sent to another foster home. There, biracial Paris finally finds someone else to trust. But when her mother comes back into her life, she must decide where home really is. “… well crafted and simply but elegantly told.”-School Library Journal

Gabriel “paced the halls of heaven” as he memorized God’s message to Mary. He wondered what she would say. The Christmas story unfolds, as never before, through the voices of those who witnessed the Messiah’s birth. Listen to Joseph’s struggle. Rejoice with Elizabeth and Zachariah. Worship with the magi. Hear the fear in Herod’s voice. Receive the blessing of Simeon and Anna. And, like the shepherds, shout for joy!

Gabby’s world is filled with daydreams. Now, what began as an escape from her parents’ arguments has taken over her life. But with the help of a new teacher, Gabby the dreamer might just become Gabby the writer. Written in vivid accessible poems, this verse novel is a celebration of one girl’s indomitable spirit and of a teacher’s ability to reach out and change a life. Review Quotes: * .” . . Grimes has written a novel in verse that is an enthusiastic celebration of the power of words and imagination. . . Always accessible, Grimes’ language is vivid, rhythmic, and figurative. . . Grimes’ words speak to the daydreamer in every reader.” –“Booklist”, starred review Review Quotes: ” . . . Grimes packs substantial emotional heft into her poems, especially the way that Gabby’s parents’ separation weighs on her. . . her poems lovingly convey the rich inner life (and turmoil) of a girl in the process of finding her voice.” –“Publishers Weekly” Review Quotes: * “In this delightfully spare narrative in verse, Coretta Scott King Award-winning Grimes examines a marriage’s end from the perspective of a child. . . Throughout this finely wrought narrative, Grimes’ free verse is tight, with perfect breaks of line and effortless shifts from reality to dream states and back. An inspirational exploration of caring among parent, teacher and child–one of Grimes’ best.” –“Kirkus Reviews”, starred review