Awards and HonorsHorn Book Fanfare - 2019
CPL Best Books - 2019
Bulletin Blue Ribbons - 2019 Michael L. Printz Award Honoree - 2020 Robert L. Sibert Award Honoree - 2020 Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book
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 her mother's second husband. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night—and discovered the magic of writing. Through subsequent years, her notebooks were her most enduring companions. In this remarkable memoir told in both poetry and prose, Grimes explores her harrowing past, showing how the power of words helped her conquer the hazards—ordinary and extraordinary—of life.
Topics Nikki Grimes (1950– ). Foster care. Abuse. Schizophrenia. African Americans. High schools. Interpersonal relations. Memoirs in verse. Coming of age. Writers and writing.
SRC Level 0.000000
SRC Points 0.000000
Lexile 840L
Trim Size 6" x 9"
JLG Span Winter
Language English
Rights type Print
Publication date 2019-10-14
JLG Release Date Jan 2020
Minimum grade 9
Maximum grade 12
Reading level High
Format Print
Biography High Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
Biography High Plus
Biography High Plus (Grades 9 & Up)
For Grades 9 & Up
This 14 book collections offers young adult readers fascinating biographies and compelling personal stories that provide a view into history or perspective on the issues of our times.
Crime: Punishment/Execution,Discrimination: Reference/Discussion,Discrimination: Religious,Discrimination: Sexism,Discrimination: Sexuality,Language: Moderate Language,Sexual Content: Contact Between Adult and Minor,Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes,Violence: Gun Violence,Violence: Suicide,Violence: War/Harsh Realities of War