2017 WILDER AWARD WINNER
NIKKI GRIMES
Nikki Grimes’s thoughtful and emotionally powerful works acknowledge the complex realities of today’s children. She uses a variety of poetic forms: free verse, tanka, haiku, linked and paired poems reflect the African-American experience while celebrating universal themes of family, identity, empathy, friendship, and community. Her poetry is smart, funny, heart-wrenching, and satisfying. It is empowering, nurturing readers’ imagination, and encouraging children to find their own means of self-expression.