Children's Book Suggestions | Novels in Verse

April is Poetry Month, which is a great month to promote novels in verse! With short lines of text and lots of white space, these books are a great choice for all readers, including striving readers and kids with dyslexia.

For even more poetry, browse the online catalog for more novels in verse or check out the 811 section in Children's Nonfiction.

Updated March 9, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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Flipping forward twisting backward
Fullerton, Alma
Paper Book
A diagnosis of dyslexia could change everything for an aspiring fifth-grade gymnast struggling at school in this authentic, high-energy novel in verse. The print edition of this title is set in a font developed to be easy to read. The gym is where Claire shines and...

Written in a dyslexia-friendly font with plenty of white space, this novel in verse features a talented gymnast learning to advocate for herself in pursuit of a dyslexia diagnosis and the supports that come with it. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Rez dogs /
Bruchac, Joseph, 1942-
Paper Book
Renowned author Joseph Bruchac tells a powerful story of a girl who learns more about her Penacook heritage while sheltering in place with her grandparents during the coronavirus pandemic. Malian loves spending time with her grandparents at their home on a Wabanaki reservation...

With the help of her grandparents and her dog, a young Penacook girl learns more about her heritage while sheltering in place on their reservation in 2020. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The door of no return
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
From the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family. In his village in Upper...

A novel in verse about a nineteenth century Asante boy who is sold into slavery and escapes, with similar themes to the 1976 classic Roots by Alex Haley. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The crossover.
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Series streaming now on Disney+, with executive producers including NBA great LeBron James! The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel in verse. "With a bolt of lightning on my...

A fast-paced sports story for basketball fans! Check out companion novels Crossed and Booked, as well as the graphic novel adaptation and streaming series. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Iveliz explains it all
Arango, Andrea Beatriz
Paper Book
NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER * In this timely and moving novel in verse, a preteen girl navigates seventh grade while facing mental health challenges. A hopeful, poetic story about learning to advocate for the help and understanding you deserve. "Powerful." --Lisa Fipps,...

A sensitive exploration of mental health from a Latine perspective in this recent Newbery Honor book. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Odder
Applegate, Katherine
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wishtree and The One and Only Ivan, Katherine Applegate, a touching and lyrical tale about a remarkable sea otter, also an instant #1 bestseller! Meet Odder, the Queen of Play: ...

A novel in verse told from the perspective of an otter from the author of the beloved Newbery Award winner The One and Only Ivan. (Children's Fiction Grade 3-5)

Golden girl. [online electronic book]
Faruqi, Reem.
Ebook
From the award-winning, ALA Notable author of Unsettled and Lailah's Lunchbox, this is a captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what...

A tween struggles with the impulse to steal small objects after her father is wrongfully detained and imprisoned on a trip home from Pakistan. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Starfish.
Fipps, Lisa.
Paper Book
A PRINTZ HONOR BOOK * Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant novel-in-verse. "In her debut novel, Starfish, Lisa Fipps confronts diet culture and fat phobia head-on. . . .  The book reads as if Ellie herself is writing these poems,...

A middle school girl learns to stand up to friends and family who bully her about her weight in this novel in verse inspired by the author's childhood. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Before the ever after
Woodson, Jacqueline
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING AUTHOR AWARD National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson's stirring novel-in-verse explores how a family moves forward when their glory days have passed and the cost of professional sports on Black bodies...

A middle school boy chronicles his NFL-playing father's progressive CTE in this heartbreaking novel in verse from a master of the form. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 3-5)

Other words for home
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book! A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed. Jude never thought she'd be...

A Syrian girl adjusts to life in Ohio after her mother sends her to live with relatives during the early years of the Syrian war. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

When clouds touch us. [online electronic book]
Lai, Thanhha
Ebook
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award finalist! Inspired by the author's own childhood, this stunning novel in verse, the sequel to the award-winning #1 bestseller Inside Out and Back Again, picks up two years after Hà and her family arrive in Alabama as refugees from the Việt Nam War....

A follow up to Lai's award-winning novel in verse Inside Out and Back Again, inspired by her experiences as a Vietnam War refugee whose family moved to Alabama in the 1970s. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Mascot
Waters, Charles
Paper Book
What if a school's mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone? In this compelling middle-grade novel in verse, two best-selling BIPOC authors tackle this hot-button issue. A perfect book for future changemakers and activists seeking contemporary stories about systematic racism and...
Six students from different backgrounds explore the variety of perspectives around Indigenous school mascots in this novel in verse from a pair of award-winning writers. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

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