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Title details for Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes - Available

Ordinary Hazards

A Memoir

by Nikki Grimes
Nikki Grimes
Audiobook
4 of 4 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
4 of 4 copies available
In her own voice, acclaimed author and poet Nikki Grimes explores the truth of a harrowing childhood in a compelling and moving memoir in verse. Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night - and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki's notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this accessible and inspiring memoir that will resonate with young readers and adults alike, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards - ordinary and extraordinary - of her life.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    December 15, 2019

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781980042952
      • File size: 132910 KB
      • Duration: 04:36:53

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 840
    • Text Difficulty: 4-5

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Award-winning poet and author Nikki Grimes shares moments that she endured and overcame in a memoir of her youth. After she discovered the magic of writing at a young age, her notebooks became her chosen medium to express the pain of being separated from her sister in the foster system, an alcoholic mother with paranoid schizophrenia, and a father who was in and out of her life. Grimes is able to express the emotions she put into her free verse, turning her work into an oral poetry presentation that conveys her belief in the power of words. This inspiring audiobook will have listeners seeking out Grimes's other works. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from July 29, 2019
      Grimes (One Last Word) presents a gripping memoir in verse constructed from imperfect recollections of the hardship and abuse she endured as a child. Having lost chunks of her memory as a result of traumatic experiences, Grimes relies on her art to fill in the blanks. In recurring entries titled “The Mystery of Memory,” and “Notebook,” Grimes contextualizes her scattered remembrances to provide a sense of time and place for readers (“Where is the chronology of a life/ chaotic from the start?”). Grimes eloquently conveys the instability of a childhood lived in the unpredictable wake of a mentally ill mother and abusive stepfather alongside hopeful anecdotes about the safe haven provided by her beloved older sister, her growing faith, and the often absent yet doting father she lost too soon. Underlining the idea that “a memoir’s focus is on truth, not fact,” Grimes courageously invites readers to join her on a journey through the shadows of her past, bridging “the gaps/ with suspension cables/ forged of steely gratitude/ for having survived my past/at all.” Ages 12–up. (Oct.)■

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:840
  • Text Difficulty:4-5

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