April is National Poetry Month, so what better way to celebrate than to read a novel in verse. Some of my very favorite novels are written in verse. Even though there are fewer words on a page, these books have a lot to say. Let me introduce you to some of my favorite children’s novels written in verse.
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
ZJ’s friends Ollie, Darry and Daniel help him cope when his father, a beloved professional football player, suffers severe headaches and memory loss that spell the end of his career. His father is angry all the time and forgets who ZJ is. ZJ is trying to figure out how to hold on to family traditions. This book is a close look in to how sporting families, especially football families, deal with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Birdie by Eileen Spinelli
Birdie’s world is changing, and she wants to go back to the way her life was before losing her father. Her father lost his life in the line of duty as a firefighter. Twelve year old Birdie must adapt to many changes as her friends and family all begin anew. She must learn how to let change happen and new people into her life.
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Jacqueline shares her childhood memories about growing up in both the Southern and Northern United States in the 1960s and 1970s. She writes in the perspective of searching for her place in the world in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement and the remnants of the Jim Crow era.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
A young girl deals with the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon, which is her home. She is forced to flee everything the knows and board a ship toward the United States of America. When her family arrives in America, they find their way to Alabama. She thinks the people are cold and rude, and the food is nowhere near as good as her home. She must figure out her own strength in order to keep her family strong. This book deals with a child’s perspective of immigration and families.
Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
Miss Strechberry loves giving her students poetry assignments, and Jack hate poetry. He thinks poetry is for girls, and his brain comes up empty every time he tries to write. Miss Stretchberry helps him find his voice with the use of a pencil, yellow paper, and a dog. Jack finds that the more he practices his poetry the more he has to say. He ends up writing his own poem he is very proud of.
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Jude is a young girl who must leave her home in Syria during war and immigrate to the United States. Unfortunately, she leaves her brother and father behind. When she starts school she is known as “Middle Eastern”, and she’s never known this identity before. She just wants to be Jude and try out for the school play. She makes new friends and begins to think she can truly be herself again in her new home of Cincinnati.
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and holidays. But Reha’s parents don’t understand why she’s conflicted. They only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linked. Reha means ‘star’ and Punam means ‘moon’, but they are a universe apart. Then, Reha finds out that her Amma is sick. Really sick. Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can’t stomach the sight of blood, is determined to make her Amma well again. She’ll be the perfect daughter, if it means saving her Amma’s life.
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Twelve year old Ellie has been bullied and shamed her entire life for being fat, even by her own family members. New neighbors move in next door and all of a sudden she has allies and like her for being herself. She loves to swim, because the swimming pool is the one place where she feels weightless. With the help and support of her new neighbor, dad, and therapist, she can face her bullies and learn to love herself.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Josh and Jordan Bell are fourteen year old basketball players who must learn the ups and downs of playing basketball on the court. They are also dealing with real life events such as their father’s declining health, first crushes, and homework. Josh and Jordan also have to learn to deal with consequences when rules are broken, that comes at a terrible price.
I hope you will choose to read one of these novels in verse to celebrate National Poetry Month. I also hope you love these novels as much as I do! Happy Reading!
