Novels In Verse To Read During Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month and it’s a great time to get children interested in the writing style. There are many classic poetry collections, such as those by Shel Silverstein, that are perfect for school and library use, but today I wanted to talk to you about another form of poetry for young readers – novels in verse.
Novels In Verse
So what are novels in verse? The difference between a poem and a novel in verse is similar to that between a comic and a graphic novel – novels in verse have a cohesive narrative arc, complex character development, and other attributes of a novel told through a series of poems, often written in free verse.
Benefits of Teaching with Novels in Verse
Novels in verse are a great addition to any language arts curriculum or book club. The narrative is broken up into smaller chunks which allows readers with a variety of learning needs to read the story at their pace. Verse novels are often emotionally driven meaning readers easily connect with the character and are better able to learn empathy and compassion. Like all poetry, novels in verse include a plethora of figurative language, making them a great way to teach similes and metaphors.
Now that you’re convinced to add novels in verse to your rotation, read on to hear about a few of our favorites!
Middle Grade
Seventh grade is driving identical twins Chaya and Maya apart. Chaya makes a choice to give her sister space, but that's the last thing Maya wants. Maya is fiercly loyal to her sister, until Chaya threatens to reveal her secret anxiety to their parents.
When they decide to swap identities at summer camp, will the sisters find a new understanding of one another or will the lie separate them even further?
Mirror to Mirror is Rajani LaRocca’s follow-up novel to her Newbery Honor winning and Walter Award-winning Red, White and Whole.
Twelve-year-old twins and basketball stars Josh and Jordan Bell must learn to deal with problems on and off the court as they navigate homework, first crushes, family and, of course, basketball.
This book won the Newbery Award in 2015 and has been a school and library staple ever since. There's plenty of fast paced basketball action to pull in even the most reluctant readers. Josh and Jordan are characters that find permanent homes in the hearts of readers.
Bonus: this book was recently adapted into a series on Disney+!
Rain Washington doesn’t understand why she feels sad all the time. Her older brother, Xander, is a hero to her, but even he can’t help stop the downpour of negative thoughts. When Xander is brutally beaten while on a college visit, Rain suddenly finds herself drowning.
Until Miss Walia, Rain’s favorite teacher, invites her to an after-school program called Circle Group and she discovers that many of her classmates have struggles of their own. With new friends, a supportive community, and the words she needed to talk about her feelings, Rain begins the long process of healing.
Dealing with tough topics including depression, racism, negative body-image and so much more, the free-verse style allows readers direct access to Rain’s complex emotions.
Anna and her family are full of excitement at the prospect of moving from Taiwan to the beautiful country – America. But the excitement quickly wears off when the United States isn’t at all like Anna thought it would be. She struggles to adjust to a new language, school, and classmates who bully her instead of welcoming her.
Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and The Turtle of Michigan, this novel about resilience and courage will resonate with any reader who has struggled to find their place in the world.
Young Adult
Two teens, Camino Rios in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira Rios in New York City, are brought together by the death of their father in a plane crash and the discovery that they didn’t know all of their Papi’s secrets.
Elizabeth Acevedo is the award-winning author of The Poet X and With the Fire On High. With her background in slam poetry and current title as the Young People’s Poet Laureate, there is no one better than Elizabeth to bring a love of poetry to your teens.
A spellbinding narrative of teenager Amal Shahid, whose future as an artist and a poet is cut short after being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. This is the perfect title to start conversations about criminal justice reform, prejudice, and the power of art to restore humanity.
The award-winning Ibi Zoboi (author of American Street and the upcoming Nigeria Jones) teamed up with prison reform activist Yusef Salaam (of the Exonerated Five) to pen this gut wrenching yet inspiring story.
Kip Wilson has a knack for making history come to life through thoroughly researched and beautifully written novels such as The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin and White Rose and she doesn’t disappoint with her latest novel in verse.
One Last Shot tells the incredible true story of Gerda Taro, a photojournalist who dared to capture the truth of the Spanish Civil War, where she became the first female photojournalist to be killed in combat. Readers will be enraptured by this often overlooked chapter in history. This book is perfect for fans of Ruta Sepetys’ The Fountains of Silence.
Michael is mixed-race and struggles to figure out where he belongs in the city of London, where he never feels quite Black enough or quite Greek enough. Throughout the story, readers see Michael learn more about who he truly is, first by coming out as gay, and then by discovering the Drag Society.
Every teen will identify with Michael’s journey to self-discovery and Dean Atta’s lyrical poetry bring Michael’s story to life with a raw honesty that is especially appealing.