21st Century Kids: Read Novels in Verse

Mona Gilbert, Children's Librarian, Northridge Branch Library,
Young girl reading a novel on lush green grass
Kids can expand their literary experiences by reading Novels in Verse. This unique style of writing uses poetry to relay a story

Poetry can be expressed in many ways. Although traditional poetry fills library shelves, so do novels written in verse. This unique style of storytelling encourages intentionality with every written word. Generally, this writing style explores complicated and diverse topics using less text than a traditional narrative. Here is a small sampling of books that introduce readers to this engaging lyrical genre.


Read Novels in Verse


Book cover for The Red Pencil
The Red Pencil
Pinkney, Andrea Davis

Scraps

“Our house is made of rice-bag scraps

No walls,
only plastic flaps,
billowing
in stale breezes.

The roof of this rice-bag house
is patched together
from roots
of diseased, brittle trees.

This place,
this dwelling,
a misshapen dome.

Home?”

—Excert from The Red Pencil


Book cover for Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science
Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science
Atkins, Jeannine

Book cover for Land of the Cranes
Land of the Cranes
Salazar, Aida

Book cover for Other Words for Home
Other Words for Home
Warga, Jasmine

Book cover for Before the Ever After
Before the Ever After
Woodson, Jacqueline

Book cover for Emmy in the Key of Code
Emmy in the Key of Code
Lucido, Aimee

Book cover for This Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality
This Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality
Boyce, Jo Ann Allen

Book cover for Inside Out & Back Again
Inside Out & Back Again
Lai, Thanhha

Book cover for Unbound: A Novel in Verse
Unbound: A Novel in Verse
Burg, Ann E.


 

 

 

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