Bestselling author visit Skaneateles
Skaneateles High School students were treated with a visit from New York Times bestselling author Nikki Grimes on Friday morning, thanks to a grant from the Skaneateles Education Foundation.
Visiting from her home in California, Grimes spent the morning with the full freshman class in the high school’s auditorium before conducting an intimate poetry workshop with a group of sixteen students later in the morning.
The poetry workshop offered students a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Grimes through the stages of writing a poem. From word selection, to description and eventually construction and revision, students were provided a valuable session of learning and conversation with the 2017 Children’s Literature Legacy Award winner.
An accomplished and widely anthologized poet of both children’s and adult verse, Grimes has conducted poetry readings and lectures at international schools in Russia, China, Sweden and Tanzania, while short-term mission projects have taken her to such trouble spots as Haiti.
Grimes has written many award-winning books for children and young adults including the Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade; the Coretta Scott King Author Honor books Jazmin’s Notebook, Talkin’ About Bessie, Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Words with Wings; Horn Book Fanfare for Talkin’ About Bessie; ALA Notable books What is Goodbye? and Words with Wings; the popular Dyamonde Daniel chapter book series, and numerous picture books and novels including The New York Times bestseller Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope and, most recently, Garvey’s Choice and One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance.
Born and raised in New York City, Grimes began composing verse at the age of six and has been writing ever since that time.
Skaneateles High School is honored to have had Grimes on campus and thanks the Skaneateles Education Foundation for their efforts in providing the opportunity.
