These Middle Grade and Young Adult novels are written in verse – or a series of poems – and may be the perfect selections for a reluctant reader. They’re fast-paced, have very few words per page, and can be way less daunting than your average prose novel!
Middle Grade (for ages 8 to 12)
- Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: A memoir in which Jacqueline Woodson recounts her childhood in the 1960s and 70s, growing up as an African American girl in both South Carolina and New York.
- Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson: A poignant verse novel about ZJ, a boy who suffers through his fathers changing and erratic behavior. His father is a retired NFL player who sustained multiple concussions over the years.
- The Crossover by Kwame Alexander: A stirring coming-of-age story about twin brothers/basketball players Josh and Jordan. Kwame Alexander’s works are must-reads for sport fans and fans of verse novels.
- Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai: An award winning novel about 10-year-old Hà Kim who flees South Vietnam in 1975, along with her mother and her siblings, to escape the horrors of war. They move to Alabama where they must adjust to a whole new way of life.
- Love that Dog by Sharon Creech: About a boy named Jack who hates poetry and is forced to write poems for his class assignments. But the more he writes, the more he wants to keep writing.
- Alone by Megan E. Freeman: Twelve-year-old Maddie wakes up to a nightmare: she finds that she is alone in her Colorado town with no power, no internet access, and no one else to rely on. She must learn to survive on her own, with only her dog to keep her company.
- Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga: To escape the violence in her hometown, Jude and her mother are sent to live with relatives in Cincinnati, leaving their family members in Syria behind. Jude is forced to adjust to a new life in America. Will she feel at home in the US or form new friendships at her new school?
Young Adult (for ages 12 and up)
- The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: Perfect for aspiring writers, The Poet X tells the story of Xiomara Batista, a teenage girl from Harlem who expresses her thoughts through poetry writing and eventually joins her school’s slam poetry club.
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo: Another verse novel by Elizabeth Acevedo about two sisters, one in the US and one in the Dominican Republic, who are just learning of each other’s existence. Yahaira lives in the US with her mother, while Camino lives in the Dominican Republic with her Tia. When their father dies suddenly in a plane crash, the two sisters find each other and learn that their father was living a double life. Read my full review here.
- The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta: Michael is Greek-Cypriot, Jamaican and queer. Michael learns to accept himself and his identity as a mixed-race gay teen while attending university and joining The Drag Society. There, he becomes “The Black Flamingo.”
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds: Fifteen-year-old Will is angry about the murder of his older brother Shawn. While in an elevator and on his way to avenge his brother’s death, he encounters seven ghosts: people who knew Shawn and were also victims of violence themselves. This is a sad but deeply touching story. I also highly recommend the graphic novel.
- Crank by Ellen Hopkins: Now a modern classic in its own right, Crank tells the disturbing but powerful story of a teenage girl who turns from “perfect” into a monster. The transformation happens while visiting her absentee father, where she becomes addicted to crystal meth, or “crank.”
- The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan: A verse novel featuring many POVs from different students attending the same high school, including a girl who is in love with Holden Caulfield and a girl who writes love songs for a girl she wants but can’t have.
- Baby Teeth by Meg Grehan: A sapphic romance and tale of forbidden love about Immy, a vampire, who is deeply in love with Claude, a regular human. This was published in 2021 and is the most recent release on this list!
Reluctant readers and avid readers alike may enjoy the titles on this list, whether they’re looking for a quick read to get out of a reading slump, or they’ve got a deadline to meet for a school project.
Are you a fan of the verse novel or do you prefer prose? Let me know in the comments!
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