April is Poetry Month, and what better way to celebrate than with a novel in verse! These stories are told through poetic prose, are usually quick reads, and are completely engaging. The verse novels listed below represent a variety of genres and topical themes, so hopefully there’s something for every reader to connect with. We hope you will indulge your inner poetic soul and dive into a verse novel today!
The Dragons Club by Cyn Bermudez (8th & up, addiction issues)
A gifted musician has her promising future put in jeopardy as a result of family drama. When her school threatens to rescind her scholarship unless she joins a teen support group, she reluctantly agrees- but the bonds she forms in The Dragons Club might end up causing her problems than the initial reason she joined.
Wolfpack by Amelia Brunskill (9th & up, suspense/thriller)
This shocking, suspenseful novel in verse about a group of teenage girls living in a cult reveals the terrifying paranoia and suspicion that emerges when one of them goes missing. Perfect for fans of We Were Liars.
Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo (8th & up, realistic fiction)
Samira is determined to have a perfect summer filled with fun parties, exploring DC, and growing as a poet--until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. But soon she's keeping a bigger secret than ever before--one that could mar her reputation and jeopardize her place in her community.
Don’t Call Me a Hurricane by Ellen Hagan (8th & up, romance/environmentalism)
After a devastating hurricane changes everything, high school senior Eliza, fearful that something will upend her life again, falls for a summer tourist who has a devastating secret that risks the life she’s rebuilt.
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride (9th & up, mental health issues)
Whimsy, who is in the hospital to seek help for her clinical depression, befriends a boy named Faerry, with whom she feels a magical connection, and together they brave the Forest, a place of monsters, fairy tales and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.
Ultraviolet by Aida Salazar (6th & up, realistic fiction)
Bent on revenge after betrayal and heartbreak, eighth grader Elio Solis doesn’t anticipate that a fight to prove his manhood and defend his girlfriend’s honor will lead to dire consequences, in this hilarious, heartwarming and highly relatable coming-of-age story about puberty, hormones and first love.
Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (6th & up, biographical fiction)
Even though he likes helping people, Jake, who avoids kids his own age, mirrors and food, must help himself when the destructive voices inside get to be too much, in this raw and transformative novel-in-verse about managing and articulating pain, and embracing self-acceptance, support and love.
After being injured fighting fires caused by German bombing in 1944 London, Harry learns that his soldier brother has been killed and he descends beneath the city on an otherworldly journey inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Based on a real historical figure, One Last Shot tells the story of Gerda Taro, a headstrong photojournalist with a passion for capturing the truth amid political turmoil and the first woman photojournalist killed in combat. An inspiring and fascinating read.
The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices From the Titanic by Allan Wolf (9th & up, historical fiction)
Recreates the 1912 sinking of the Titanic as observed by millionaire John Jacob Astor, a beautiful young Lebanese refugee finding first love, "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, Captain Smith, and others including the iceberg itself.