A Dime a Dozen

by Nikki Grimes, Angelo (Illustrator)

A collection of poems about African-American children growing up in New York

Genres: Poetry, Middle Grade, African American, Childrens

56 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Javarius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple easy read

I love that as I read through the poems I could envision what her life could have been like and I could somewhat relate.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, accessible read that I enjoyed on a library layover in New Mexico. Real poems, but also easy & engaging & meaningful.

[Alice Kunce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real-life Emily of New Moon who grew up writing by flashlight under the covers, Nikki Grimes' book in verse captures teen angst: will her writing ever be good enough? for whom? should she keep writing, or seek a "real" job? Readers will cheer Nikki on as she inks her life across the page.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Dime a Dozen by Nikki Grimes is a collection of poems that describe her life growing up and her dream of being a poet even though her parents did not approve of such a thing. Something intersting about this collection of poems is that they were all seperate poems but they told a story like it was a novel. I think the main theme of this story is to show kids that no matter what you want to do if you are determined enough one day you can be and do anything you want too. I think this is a good collection of poems for children because it doesn't just tell a poem/story but has a lesson and moral to it. The images in the collection look like they were hand drawn and maybe used colored pencil or water colors. These poems had a positive stretch because it taught children to chase after your dreams. I think this would be a good collection of poems to read to students before asking them what they want to do later on in life and who they want to be. I do not really enjoy reading poems but I like the fact that this collection tells a story through it's poems and teaches a lesson/moral.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

These autobiographical poems reveal a young girl's desire to be a writer, and her perseverance despite the objections of her family. Her relationship with her father was especially interesting. My favorite poem was "The Last Word"-- I could visualize it so clearly and hear the chop! of the knife. I also liked "Something New," with its surprise at the end. Wish I could write poems like that. Recommended!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of poems about growing up and all the good and bad of that. This seems autobiographical because in it, Nikki Grimes writes about writing and also about those who are a little skeptical about her writing. In the title poem, one reads the line “Find another dream instead.” But also, later, “Someday she’ll be proud to say…my daughter the writer!” The drawings are realistically and beautifully done in pencil.

[Melle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe it's because of the poetry format, but this feels like a predecessor to Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming. Sweet, thoughtful, emotional, and encouraging. Great for aspiring writers, kids whose parents are going through marital strain or divorce, and anyone who delights in poetry and language.

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several (seemingly disjointed at times) poems about the home life of a teenage girl. At times it seems to talk about multiple people. It is written, as explained by the introduction, to explain in brief how she became a writer. The book is an easy read, and it is fairly enjoyable.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that the poems in this book all told a story - yet it wasn't a novel in verse. Each poem was beautifully written yet simple enough to be accessible to children.

[Jaylaun G.S.]

I enjoyed these poems.