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Grimes was born in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem
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After moving between foster homes for five years, Grimes moves in with a foster family in Ossining, NY. Here, she feels finally feels safe.
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Grimes begins to play around with words and writes her first poem at only 6 years old.
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At age 13, Grimes gave her first poetry reading at the Countee Cullen Library. Oddly enough, the library was just down the street from the hospital in which she was born.
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Grimes graduates from Rutgers University with a BA in English and a minor in African Languages
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Grimes' first book, Growin', is published.
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Grimes wins the Coretta Scott King Award for Authors with her book Bronx Masquerade
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Grimes wins the Golden Dolphin Award from the California Children's Book Association
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Grimes wins the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children
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Grimes wins the award for Outstanding Literary Work for her book Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope
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Grimes publishes the first book of her Dyamonde Daniel series.
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Grimes won the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award from Kent State University
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Grimes won the Children's Literature Legacy Award (formerly the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award) presented by the American Library Association
