| Nikki Grimes |
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| About the Author |
| Born in New York Owns the title poet Been writing since the age of six Author of many award-winning books/poetry collections: Bronx Masquerade (Coretta Scott King) Jazmin's Notebook (Coretta Scott King, Bank Street College) Meet Danitra Brown Written articles for magazines: Essence Image Today's Christian Woman Known as a Jane-of-all-trades Writes Sings Paints/Draws Photographer Inventor (jewlery, handmade cards) Lives in Corona, California |
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| Consists of... |
| Nikki Grimes literary works usually is written for children, but one or two books have been written for teens such as Bronx Masquerade. She writes mostly narrative verse poetry and favors haiku. |
| Selections |
| Mirror, Mirror By Janelle Battle "Sisters under the skin, we meet in the mirror, our images superimposed for one split second. Ready or not, I peer into your soul and dive deep, splash-landing in a pool of pain as salty and familiar as the tears on my cheek. Your eyes don't like what I see. You don't want to be me. So you curse and smash the mirror, which gets you what? A bit of blood, a handful of glass splinters, another source of pain." Excerpt from Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes |
| Inside By Janelle Battle "Daily I noticed you frown at my thick casing, feel you poke me with the sharp tip of your booted words. You laugh, rap my woody shell with wicked whispers shaped like knuckles, then toss me aside. Lucky for me, I don't bruise easily. Besides, your loss is someone else's gain for I am coconut, and the heart of me is sweeter than you know." Excerpt from Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes |
| Analyze I think what Grimes is trying to express through her character, Janelle Battle, is that essentially we all look the same despite outer appearances. The mirror only reveals to us so much. We all contain the same emotions, no more, no less. |
| Analyze In this poem, Grimes expresses through Janelle a self appreciation for herself. No one has the ability to say anything about her but herself. In a way it's a lesson to all young people because we're inflicted with a certain image to live up to when essentially we have control, not anyone else. It teaches some that they need to learn to just stay true to themselves because "your loss is someone else's gain." |
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