Books in Verse for Poetry Month

 For some reason, I couldn't find Novels in verse that weren't YA or Children's books, so for all you talented writers, there is a gap in the market to exploit!  Please don't let the rating of "YA" stop you from exploring these titles, as they are really good, and also really quick to read.

For those who enjoy the podcast, the link to listen is here:

Alchemy of Genres

When Wesley Boone writes a poem for his high school English class, everyone is inspired and wants to join in, sharing their own.  Soon all 18 students are sharing poems and intimate thoughts and feelings about themselves and each other and their lives.

This is a really great way to see the true diversity of a classroom and how different we all can be.

This title is about exactly what the title says it is; the relationship between Kristina and crystal meth, aka crank.  We witness her changing from Kristina to Bree.  We see see her willing to do terrible things just to get drugs.  We see her life imploding and we see her missing it, because she only cares about crank.  This is part one of a trilogy.  It is not a breezy, fun book; but it is substantial and insightful and sad.

Crossover is the story of Jordan and Josh.  They are twins who are so different; it doesn't seem possible.  One is all about sports and one is all about music and as far as their dad is concerned; music isn't an acceptable preoccupation....so, he tries sports so he can be the man his father wants him to be.  But what is he giving up of himself in order to fit his father's images of "manly" and "proper"?

Tanya Lee Stone tells the story of three girls who all get mixed up with a senior boy (I think they are all freshmen, but one may be a sophomore).  He is a cool, slick, sexy fellow who can talk them into almost anything, even if they regret it later.  When they find each other and their shared history, they begin trading stories.  As they explore their self-doubts, regrets and low self-esteem, things begin to change.  Together they are stronger and better than any boy.

Anke's father is abusive; but not to her.  She is a silent witness to horrors happening to her brother and sister.  When she joins the volleyball team, she starts finding her voice and feeling stronger.  She begins imagining a day when she can stand up to her father and find help for her family.

This is a sad but impactful story about finding strength and also about how abuse scars not only the people being hurt but the who family unit.

This is a historical fiction novel set in the 1960's with a "family" similar to the Manson family cult.  It is told from the viewpoint of one girl who explains how she became a part of the family, why she stays and why she willingly participates in horrible terrible things.  This book is a frightening look inside a cult and the brainwashing that happens.  

Brendan seems to have everything; he is a successful wrestler, has decent grades, a pretty girlfriend but something in his life feels off.  When he meets Angel and learns about who and what a transgender is and could be, Brendan thinks it could be the answer to his feeling of wrongness.  However, what happens if he admits it or even explores options outside everyone's definition of "normal"?  Will his life be better or worse?  

This powerful book looks at the journey for being happy and your true self as well as exploring what defines your happiness....the outward trappings or following your heart even if it costs  you everything.

Viola grew up in Sudan, then her family escaped to Cairo and finally have now moved to Portland, Maine.  She has experienced war, tragedy, and is trying to forget it all and be "normal".  She is finding forgetting difficult, almost as hard as trying to maintain her Sudanese family's expectations when surrounded with so many other options in the US.  Females have certain roles and rules, but her friends seem to have so much more freedom; does she dare try for it......or will it be disrespectful in the face of all they have gone through to get here?  

This book is difficult to read, but is an important read.

This is a remarkable poetry memoir of one girl's struggle with crippling anxiety.  This memoir is powerful and raw, even more so because it is true. This is an important read both for those who have experienced mental health issues, and for those who haven't as it goes through all the highs and lows and struggle for healing.

On Oct 31, 1984 Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards.  This event sparked riots in India and for three days Sikh families were targeted and killed in retribution for the leader's death.  Into this chaos, comes Maya and her father who have traveled from their home in Canada  in order to perform last rites for her mother, who has recently died.  Maya has never been to India, so she knows a lot of theories but not realities.  When they are caught up and targeted in the riots, they become separated.  Now they will have to find a way to stay alive and find each other; even more challenging for a 16 year old Canadian Sikh girl.

This is the story of a girl who has to go live with her father after her mother dies.  Her father is a distant figure of a movie star that she doesn't really know.  She doesn't know how to grieve, and now is in a new home with no friends and is struggling.  This is a story of grief and family.

A classmate of Kana's commits suicide and she is sent to be with her mother's family in Japan in an effort to keep her away from the situation and for her to get to know her family.  This is a quiet book with moments of sadness and triumph and provides a glimpse into the consequences of suicide for those left behind.

Billie Jo is 14 and it is the Depression (1930's).  Her family are farmers in Oklahoma and their farm is failing because of the drought and the dust....becoming known as the Dust Bowl.  This is a quick, personal glimpse of a part of history and the hardships suffered at the time.

This award winning book has been recommended reading for many years for young teens, it is well worth a read.

Planet Pregnancy is a story of the struggle of Sahara, age 16, as she figures out how to handle an uplanned pregnancy.  This is an emotional and important story.

One school, 20 voices.  Twenty stories that sometimes intersect, sometimes conflict and sometimes show multiple sides of the same story.  

A powerful, and sometimes funny look at life in high school.

Kevin misses baseball due to having mono, so he starts reading and writing poetry.  He worries though whether he can still be a jock if he loves poems?

This is a quick, fun read, set in middle school that explores what are "allowed" activities for boys to participate in and why.

Lakshmi thinks she is getting a job to help her family in the city, but she has actually been sold to a brothel as a prostitute.  This is her story of her life in the brothel and her determined fight to find a way out and have a better life.

This is a hard story to read, but as it does happen; an important story that is based on real life stories.

This story is about what happens after a stranger breaks into a house and attacks a family.  It's about a family struggling to find themselves again after they have been shattered by violence.  The story is told in each family members voices and shows the splintering and the attempts at gluing them back together.

This realistic view of recovery after trauma is sad, hopeful and useful.

 

Matt is still haunted by bombs and other memories of war, even 2 years after being airlifted out of Vietnam.  He lives in an adoptive home but faces prejudice and other issues.  He needs to learn to trust his new life and heal from old wounds.  Another historical fiction story exploring trauma, Asian American prejudices and adjusting to a new life in a new country.

Kek is from Sudan and has moved to Minnesota to live with an aunt and cousin.  He is hoping his mother will be found and join them, and he is feeling very guilty that they became separated and he is here without her.  He misses agricultural life and so when he is able to bond with a cow at a local farm.  It greatly helps his stress and it makes him feel more comfortable.

This touching immigrant story of loss, confusion and pain is also really sweet and hopeful.  Highly recommended.

Shout is the true story of a sexual assault that happened to Anderson and inspired her teen novel Speak.  She is honest about the incident, it's handling, trauma and after-effects.

Melinda is an outcast because she called the cops from an "end of summer" teen party....but what no one knows and what she hasn't told anyone is why she called.  Through an art project, she is able to begin to face the assault she experienced but no one can (or will) help her with her attacker as he continues to intimidate and threaten her at school.  This is the story of Melinda finding her voice, and the strength to speak out.

It's 1969 and Apollo 11 is getting ready for its flight to the moon.  For Mimi the move to Vermont is very difficult because it's a very white town (meaning very few non-caucasian people there) and she is both African American and Japanese (meaning twice the racism).  All Mimi wants is to be an astronaut but no one believes she can succeed, or will give her the option to even try anything scientific; but she will not take their racism quietly.

This is great story of a girl following her passion in spite of the opposition.

Margarita talks about her dual life as a Cuban/Caucasian mixed race girl in the 1960's.  Her views of the Cuban revolutions and the Cuban missile crisis are different from those of her white classmates.  She also talks about the fear and the racism rampant at the time.  This is an interesting memoir on a topic not often discussed.

Nikki is an author and this is her memoir recounting her life and struggles growing up in the late 60's/early 70's with a dysfunctional family.  She has not had an easy road but many will identify with her issues of abuse, parental mental illness and the foster care system.

This is an affecting memoir from an award winning author.

It is Germany, 1939 and Paula has a good life with only minimal issues caused by her deafness.  Then comes Adolf Hitler's Tiergartenstrasse 4 (T4) with orders to kill any mentally or physically disabled people, in order to purge the unhealthy from the gene pool.  Paula will have to run for her life and survive in a world that she cannot hear but which will kill her if she is found.

A very fast and affecting story on a seldom discussed group of people targeted by Hitler.

Wiles tells the story of the Kent State protest and deaths called the Kent State Massacre.  She uses many voices; students, townspeople, protestors, teachers all tell their side of the story of those few days.  

Sometimes it is hard to follow because each type of person gets a different font and Wiles doesn't give a lot of background.  She just jumps into the tale with a "looking back" perspective so you have to quickly catch up.  Hopefully this brief and factual story will inspire readers to do further research into the infamous incident and will see the echoes of it in protests of today.

Not Hungry is the story of a girl struggling with self esteems and an eating disorder.  The many layers of being "the fat girl" are explored as is the abusive relationship her sister is in.

The biggest thing about this story is that is all emotional, showing her isolation and conviction that no one will understand (or that everyone already hates her due to her "hideousness").  This is an empowering story about a girl finding her voice and helping her sister to find hers.  

Three Rivers Rising is a historical fiction novel focused on the Johnstown Flood, a tragic event from 1889.  This is also a story that explores a cross-cultural romance (upper/lower class issues).  This is a brief, well written but tragic story.

Veda lives and breathes dance; so when an accident means the loss of one of her legs, she is devastated.  She refuses to give up dance, but first has to relearn the basics of how to walk and function with only one leg and a prosthesis.  She also has to fight for the right to dance as a "useless one-legged girl".  There is a bit of romance for her as she gets to know Govinda who sees dance as a spiritual outlet and helps her to feel strong and connected to her love of dance.  This is an amazing story, not just about overcoming adversity; but about refusing to give up on your dreams.

Xiomara feels unheard and stifled due to her mother's fierce focus on religion and also cultural norms of the limitations of being female.  Somehow she IS a sin, just  vessel for evil and needs to be passive, spiritual and to wait for a man to marry her, protect her and father her children.  Xiomara is a fighter, not at all good at passivity.  Her questions in religious classes land her in even more trouble as does her blossoming relationship with Aman.  In poetry club, she finds a way to give voice to her frustrations, emotions and questions; and in sharing her poetry she finds the strength to speak her truth. 

This is a powerful story of a girl struggling against so many issues and while it is not an easy story, it is highly recommended and has rightfully won many awards.

Mai is California born and raised though her family is from Vietnam.  She is very upset when she is commanded to accompany her grandmother to Vietnam where she is convinced that she will find out what happened to her husband during the war.  Mai has a struggle to learn the language, culture and customs in Vietnam but learns many things about her family and culture as well.  This is a quiet story but is an excellent novel about exploring one's heritage and finding family.

Ronit and Jamil is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet but with an Israeli girl and a Palestinian boy.  A brief exploration of love and conflict that makes for an interesting and quick read.

Black Flamingo is about a boy coming to terms with his identity as a mixed race gay teen.  When he finds drag as an art form and a lifestyle at a university event, it resonates with him.  He pursues being in drag as a way to fully express himself while finding a group to belong to, but it isn't an easy journey and there are many hurdles to overcome.  

This story is full of triumph and adversity, laughter and tears and is highly recommended.

Sky is struggling with the fact that her best friend Lay Li has deserted her over a guy, as well as the fact that she doesn't fit in anywhere except on the basketball court.  She and her sister hate each other.  

This touching story of a girl finding her strength and the willingness to fight to just be herself.

Denver, Dali and Shak are singers from the Poconos dreaming of a music career and all the fame and fortune that will bring.  Meeting superstar Sean Mercury Ellis (Merc) seems like a dream come true with his promises to help them......but as they leave home and start doing all that he tells them, they find that not everything is as it appears.

This is a difficult book to read, but it explores the reality of the exploitation possible in the struggle for fame and how strong a girl must be to survive when her dream come true becomes a nightmare.