Nikki Grimes

Author Information
Nikki Grimes's Latest Book

Newest Release

  • Bibliography:
    54 Books (2 Series)
  • First Book:
    January 1978
  • Latest Book:
    April 2025
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Full Series List in Order

A Dyamonde Daniel Book

1 - Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel (May-2009)
2 - Rich (Sep-2010)
3 - Almost Zero (Nov-2010)
4 - Halfway to Perfect (Jul-2012)

Garvey

1 - Garvey's Choice (Oct-2016)
2 - Garvey in the Dark (Oct-2022)

Book List in Order: 54 titles

  • Something on My Mind

  • Oh, Bother! Someone's Fighting!

    This picture book is one title in the special Pooh series that addresses -- and resolves -- simple childhood problems. It's a gentle, silly story about a fight among friends starring favorite characters from the world of Pooh. Everyone has a differen...

  • From a Child's Heart

  • Portrait Of Mary

    Although she is portrayed in Western art as belonging more to heaven than to earth, Grimes reminds readers of Mary's very human roots as a young woman living in a complex Middle Eastern culture and historical time. Through Mary's eyes, readers experi...

  • Growin'

  • C Is for City

  • Wild, Wild Hair

    Hating having to get her wild hair painfully combed and braided every Monday, Tisa decides to hide, but once her hair is done, she loves it so much that her mother cannot tear her away from the mirror. Original....

  • It's Raining Laughter

  • Meet Danitra Brown

    This spirited collection of poems introduces young readers to Danitra Brown, the most splendiferous girl in town, and her best friend, Zuri Jackson. "The poignant text and lovely pictures are an excellent collaboration, resulting in a look at touchin...



  • Jazmin's Notebook

    Her name is Jazmin, and like the music of her name, her life throbs and swings?a few flat notes to be sure, but also bursting with rich passages that rise and soar. Sitting on her stoop she fills her notebook with laughs, anger, and hope. There?s the...

  • A Dime a Dozen

    Twenty-eight poems celebrate family, culture, writing, and the spirit of a creative child....

  • Stepping Out with Grandma Mac

  • Bronx Masquerade

    something's going on Something more than a high school poetry assignment. Kids are taking a look, leaning in close, asking why or how. Wesley Boone, writing a poem for Mr. Ward's class and actually wanting to read it aloud, poetry slam style. Lupe A...

  • Danitra Brown Leaves Town

    It's summer vacation, but Zuri Jackson isn't happy. What will she do all summer long in the city when her best friend, Danitra. Brown, the most splendiferous girl in town, is off to visit her family in the country? Write, of course!

    Through ...

  • Under the Christmas Tree

    Presented from an African-American perspective by a Coretta Scott King Award-winning author, a holiday tale provides readers with twenty-three charming poems that capture the joy and happiness of one family's Christmas celebration....

  • Talkin' about Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

    Soar along with Bessie Coleman in this inspirational tale of a woman whose determination reached new heights.Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman was always being told what she could & couldn't do. In an era when Jim Crow laws and segregation were a way of lif...

  • My Man Blue

    Blue lost one boy to the streets and is determined that this time will be different. And Damon knows that even though he's the "man of the house," there's room for a friend like Blue in his life. At the end of the day, Damon has someone standing stea...

  • What is Goodbye?

    Jerilyn and Jesse have lost their beloved older brother. But each of them deals with Jaron's death differently. Jerilyn tries to keep it in and hold it together; Jesse acts out. But after a year of anger, pain, and guilt, they come to understand that...

  • A Day With Daddy



  • Danitra Brown, Class Clown

    They may be best friends, but Zuri Jackson and Danitra Brown respond very differently to the start of school. For Zuri, there are so many things to ponder -- a new teacher who replaced the old one she liked so much, passing math, and worrying abou...

  • Dinitra Brown Leaves Town

    Miles apart during summer vacation, best friends Zuri Jackson and Danitra Brown share their trials and tribulations through an entertaining collection of letters, in a delightful picture book that explores the power of friendship. Reprint....

  • Welcome, Precious

    Literary award winners Nikki Grimes and Bryan Collier celebrate life, love, and family with this gorgeous new picture book.

    "Welcome, Precious. Welcome to the warm circle of your daddy's arms, the slippery kisses of your giddy grandmother, and...

  • The Road to Paris

    A Coretta Scott King Honor BookParis has just moved in with the Lincoln family, and she isn't thrilled to be in yet another foster home. She has a tough time trusting people, and she misses her brother, who's been sent to a boys' home. Over time, the...

  • When Gorilla Goes Walking

    A humorous and wonderfully poetic story about Cecilia and her pet cat, Gorilla!When Gorilla goes walking, the neighbors laugh and stare at her tailless rump and her very proud air.Gorilla is an affectionate, jealous, lovable cat who constantly wants ...

  • Oh, Brother!

    It's bad enough that Xavier's new stepbrother, Chris, has moved into Xavier's room, but now it looks like he's also trying to steal Mami by being the perfect kid.

    Chris's "Mr. Perfect" act may fool grown-ups, but Xavier can see straight thr...

  • Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel

    A Dyamonde Daniel Book - 1

    Dyamonde Daniel may be new in town, but that doesn't stop her from making a place for herself in a jiffy. With her can-do attitude and awesome brain power she takes the whole neighborhood by storm. The only thing puzzling her is the other new kid in ...

  • Voices of Christmas

    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 strugg...

  • Dark Sons

    A guy whose father ripped 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 o...

  • A Girl Named Mister

    Mary Rudine, called Mister by almost everyone, has attended church and sung in the choir for as long as she can remember. But then she meets Trey. His long lashes and smooth words make her question what she knows is right, and one mistake leaves her ...



  • Rich

    A Dyamonde Daniel Book - 2

    Dyamonde Daniel is excited about the local library's poetry contest, and so is her friend Free. The prize is one hundred dollars -- just think what they could buy with that much money! But when they find out that Damaris, one of their classmates, has...

  • Almost Zero

    A Dyamonde Daniel Book - 3

    Dyamonde really wants red high-top sneakers. Too bad they're so expensive! A classmate tells her it's her mom's job to give her what she needs, but when Dyamonde tries that argument, her mom teaches her a lesson by literally only giving her what she ...

  • Planet Middle School

    For twelve years, Joylin Johnson's life has been just fine, thank you very much. A game of basketball with the boys-especially her friend Jake-was all it took to put a smile on her face. Baggy jeans, T-shirt, and hair in a ponytail were easy choices....

  • Halfway to Perfect

    A Dyamonde Daniel Book - 4

    Dyamonde knows it's what's on the inside that counts! Dyamonde loves eating her mom's pancakes. Free loves eating . . . period. But lately Damaris just pushes her food around her plate, and Dyamonde suspects it has something to do with the mean th...

  • Words with Wings

    In this Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, Children's Literature Legacy Award-winner Nikki Grimes explores though her celebrated poetry how a supportive teacher can be the key to unlocking a dreamer's imaginative power through creative writin...

  • Chasing Freedom

    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 l...

  • Poems Poems in the Attic

    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 F...

  • Garvey's Choice

    Garvey - 1

    This emotionally resonant novel in verse by award-winning author Nikki Grimes celebrates choosing to be true to yourself.Garvey's father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading -- anyth...

  • One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance

    "One Last Word is the work of a master poet." --Kwame Alexander, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Crossover

    From the New York Times bestselling and Coretta Scott King award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes an emotional, spec...

  • The Watcher

    2018 World Magazine: Picture Book of the Year

    A poetic story inspired by Psalm 121

    Jordan lives in fear of Tanya, the class bully. But Tanya has worries of her own, no matter how much she tries to ignore them. It seems...



  • Between the Lines

    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 Yor...

  • Bedtime for Sweet Creatures

    Barnes & Noble Best Book of the YearKirkus Best Book of the YearPublishers Weekly Best Book of the Year4 STARRED REVIEWSNikki Grimes, Coretta Scott King Award winning author, and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Zunon's latest children's masterpie...

  • Ordinary Hazards

  • Southwest Sunrise

    From Children's Literature Legacy Award winner Nikki Grimes and highly-acclaimed illustrator Wendell Minor comes a stunning picture book about the beauty of the natural world and finding a new place to call home.

    The beauty of the n...

  • Kamala Harris

    Discover the incredible story of a young daughter of immigrants who would grow up to defend the rights of people everywhere in this moving picture book biography of Senator Kamala Harris.When Kamala Harris was young, she often accompanied her parents...

  • Legacy

    From Children's Literature Legacy Award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes a feminist-forward new collection of poetry celebrating the little-known women poets of the Harlem Renaissance--paired with full-color, original art from today's most t...

  • Off to See the Sea

    From Children's Literature Legacy Award-winning author Nikki Grimes and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Zunon comes an adventurous bath time story. Bath time is full of magic. The faucet flows like a waterfall, the bathroom floor is a dista...

  • Glory in the Margins

    "Glory in the Margins is a gift and a challenge: a collection that could be well-worn by pastors and prisoners, could be healing in both a hospital room or busy auditorium, and could offer inspiration in both the quiet of personal devotion o...

  • Playtime for Restless Rascals

    Nikki Grimes, Coretta Scott King Award winning author, and acclaimed illustrator Elizabeth Zunon's latest children's masterpiece is a whimsical adventure and rollicking celebration of playtime fun."Time to get to work, little one," I tell you."What w...

  • Garvey in the Dark

    Garvey - 2



  • A Walk in the Woods

    In this moving account of loss, a boy takes a walk in the woods and makes a discovery that changes his understanding of his father. week after the funeralI stare in the morning mirrorAngry that my father’s eyes Stare back at me.Confused and distrau...

  • Lullaby for the King

  • Poems in the Attic

    Award-winning poet Nikki Grimes presents a tender poetry collection where a young girl learns about her mother, the child of an Air Force serviceman.During a visit to her grandma's house, a young girl discovers a box of poems in the attic, poems writ...

  • Dyamonde Daniels: Loser

    Dyamonde and her best friend Free compete over everything from sports to homework to setting the dinner table. Their bets are normally fun, but after Dyamonde goes on a winning (and bragging) streak, things turn rocky. Free stops coming over. He won'...

  • A Cup of Quiet

    From award-winning author Nikki Grimes comes a beautiful picture book about the special bond between a child and grandparent, perfect for fans of Thank You, Omu and Fry Bread.When the squeal of tires and thrum of Grandpa's hammer fill the air, Grandm...

Award-Winning Books by Nikki Grimes

Bronx Masquerade
2003 Coretta Scott King Award -- Author
Danitra Brown, Class Clown
2005 Parents Choice Award (Fall) (1998-2007) -- Recommended
Talkin' about Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman
2003 Bookseller's Choice -- Nonfiction
2003 Coretta Scott King Award -- Illustrator


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Nikki Grimes has published 54 books.

The next book by Nikki Grimes, A Cup of Quiet, will be published in April 2025.

The first book by Nikki Grimes, Something on My Mind, was published in January 1978.

Yes. Nikki Grimes has 2 series.
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