A Dime a Dozen - Hardcover

Nikki Grimes is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of dozens of children’s and young adult books as well as a poet and journalist.
 
Among the many accolades she has received are the Golden Dolphin Award (2005),the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children (2006), the Coretta Scott King Award (2003) for Bronx Masquerade, and the Horace Mann Upstanders Award (2011) for Almost Zero: A Dyamonde Daniel Book. Additionally, her book Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope (illustrated by Bryan Collier) was a New York Times bestseller, and she was acknowledged as an NAACP Image Award Finalist in 1993 for her book Malcolm X: a Force for Change. Her books Meet Danitra Brown (illustrated by Floyd Cooper), Jazmin's Notebook, Talkin' About Bessie (illustrated by E.B. Lewis), Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Words with Wings were each awarded Coretta Scott King Honors. Visit her online at www.nikkigrimes.com.

Grade 5-9-Written in the first-person voice of an African-American girl, these 28 poems celebrate family, culture, writing, and the spirit of a creative, introspective child. They should be read in the order in which they are arranged to appreciate the power and overall loose plot. "Part I: Genius" introduces readers to the main character and her family. "Part II: The Secret" explores the private, painful stories of the family and ends with the parents' divorce. "Part III: A Dime a Dozen" explores identity and culture. Grimes's carefully crafted word placement matches the rhythms and messages of the poems. In "Stroll," words are offset from the left margin, symbolizing the protagonist's individual pace, which is unique and different from that of her mother. From protecting oneself from the risks of love in "Foster Home," to a daughter's yearning for her mother's pride in the title piece, emotion flows through these verses. The melodic rhythms gracefully sing when read aloud. Resembling photographs, the soft black-and-white illustrations portray the family members and offer images of the words without infringing on readers' imaginations or personal reactions to the poetry. Librarians and English teachers may consider planning a program to explore this book and Grimes's novel, Jazmin's Notebook (Dial, 1998) for similarities and differences. A quietly profound, heartfelt work.
Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY
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