From Janet Spaulding and Michael:
April is many things to many people, but for us literary types, it’s “National Poetry Month”. Poetry can be traditional couplets, weird haikus, rap, old-school, modern, freeform, and the list goes on and on. The Library offers different programming not just through April, but throughout the year in various ways. We’ve offered poetry slams, weekly open mics, contests and more.
But one of the most interesting things that’s out there for our readers are teen titles that are novels-in-verse. Instead of the story being told in prose (the usual way), the tale is told through poetry. It makes for some unusual and wonderful reading. You’ll find some intense emotional scenes, interesting use of white space, and often some pretty edgy content tucked away between the covers. Instants can pass between pages. Or years. Viewpoints switch, sometimes in the same stanza or section.
It might seem like it’s hard to read or something to pass on, but the books are easy to read, great for reluctant readers and voracious readers alike. Are you up to it? Here’s a sampling of teen titles that are novels-in-verse.
Happy reading and comment below or on our Facebook page about what you’ve read!
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October Mourning by Lesléa Newman
Hidden by Helen Frost
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
Addie on the Inside by James Howe
The Girl in the Mirror by Meg Kearney
Sold by Patricia McCormick
After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy
The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
Orchards by Holly Thompson
Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe
The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf
Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
Amiri & Odette by Walter Dean Myers