6 Must-Read Middle Grade Novels in Verse

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As a teenager, I remember reading my first novel in verse. I never expected to like poetry. But just a few pages in, I found myself engrossed in the story. More than that, I became fascinated by the language, the use of space on the page, how beautiful everything sounded when read aloud. I’d never enjoyed reading poetry like this before. I was smitten.

Years later, post-college and grad school, I found my way back to novels in verse via middle grade. One of my favorite authors, Jacqueline Woodson, had a new book out, a memoir in verse that followed her childhood in Greenville, South Carolina. She possessed such control over her poetry, using each page to progress the story while still remaining true to the lyrical quality of her beautiful writing. Reading Brown Girl Dreaming—the language, imagery, and storytelling—took me back to my childhood. I’ve been in love with poetry novels in verse ever since.

Now, I’m an adult and not the target audience for middle grade. But like the child me, middle graders love novels in verse too. They encourage younger readers with their playful use of language. There’s a lot of space on the page, making them accessible to struggling readers. The writing is so lyrical and beautiful to the ear. What’s more, novels in verse often tackle difficult topics in an age-appropriate way, giving adults an opportunity to talk to kids about big ideas. So, here are a few of my favorite novels in verse, perfect for adults and kids alike.

Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi

Kareem loves football more than anything else. He dreams of becoming the quarterback for his school’s team, so much so that he’s willing to break the rules to do it. But when the president enacts the “Muslim ban,” Kareem’s mom is in Syria visiting family, and she isn’t able to come home.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

When Jude and her mother go to stay with family in Cincinnati, they leave her father and brother back in Syria. What starts out as a short trip turns into a longer and longer stay. Everything in America is too loud and too fast. Jude desperately misses home. But the longer she spends in America, the more she comes to see this otherworldly place as home.

Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

Jake has a voice in his head that tells him he’s not supposed to eat. He’s not worth it. While everything else feels out of his control, if he limits what he eats, that will prevent the worst from happening. He’s confident he doesn’t have an issue with food. But after his mother and grandmother send him to a residential program for anorexia, Jake begins to think he may have a problem after all. Through talking with his therapist and receiving the other help he needs, Jake begins to develop a healthier relationship with food and to work through the underlying issues that made him start restricting food in the first place.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhà Lại

When Hà is just ten years old, she and her family flee Vietnam at the end of the war and make their way to America. In Alabama, Hà and her brothers attend a new school. At first, Hà struggles with the language, but slowly and surely, she begins learning English and better understanding the new world she calls home.

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

Reha feels caught between worlds: at home, she’s surrounded by Indian food and culture. At school, she just wants to be like the other kids. But when her mother becomes seriously ill, her entire life feels as if it’s been turned upside down. All she wants is to make her mother well again. Maybe if she’s the perfect daughter and does everything her parents want her to do, her Amma won’t be sick anymore.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

This is the book that started the revival of my love for novels in verse. In Brown Girl Dreaming, Woodson shares the story of her childhood and adolescence growing up as a young Black girl in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s and 1970s. As we move through her memoir, we see young Woodson come into her own and begin to make a place for herself in the world.

Whether you are new to novels in verse or are already a huge fan, there is sure to be something on this list for you. For more kids’ poetry, here are 50 Must-Read Poetry Books For Kids. For more great books in verse, check out 100 Must-Read YA Verse Novels and 20 More Must-Read YA Verse Novels.

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