Verse Novels for Young Adults

A relatively new poetic form with roots in ancient epic poetry, the verse novel or novel in verse is a form that is growing in popularity, particularly with tweens and teens. The best verse novels are built on poems that are often lovely “stand alone” works of art. A narrative unfolds poem by poem, often with multiple points of view and in colloquial, conversational language. It can also be very engaging to read these works out loud in parts, with different readers voicing different characters in readers theater style. Here are some of the best of the recent novels in verse for young adults.

The list begins:

Adoff, Jaime. 2005. Jimi & Me. New York: Hyperion.

Adoff, Jaime. 2008. The Death of Jayson Porter. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion.

Applegate, Katherine. 2008. Home of the Brave. New York: Square Fish.

Atkins, Jeannine. 2010. Borrowed Names; Poems About Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C. J. Walker, Marie Curie, and Their Daughters. New York: Holt.

Bryant, Jen. 2004. The Trial. New York: Knopf.

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