Verse Novels in the Classroom

Novels in verse present a wonderful opportunity for teachers to introduce a variety of literary forms and techniques to their students, while also encouraging reading for pleasure. The narrative form of verse novels is engaging, and the shorter word count can support readers who may be reluctant to tackle a longer work.

For a number of years, my fellow 6th grade English colleague and I have incorporated verse novels into an independent reading project in the spring. Students enjoy learning that verse novels come in all the genres with which they are familiar: contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, science fiction, memoir, and more.

We have typically done some work with reading and writing poetry leading up to our introduction of the project, so students are familiar with many of the terms and figurative language techniques they may encounter in their reading. Sharing a glossary of poetic terms is also helpful for them to have as a reference.

We present students with a list of middle grade and some young adult novels in verse that we have in our classroom and school library collections. As with other independent reading projects, excitement is built through short book talks that we and our school librarian give of several books. Students then have the choice to borrow a book from our collection or access them through Sora, their public library, or another source. Our list is updated and refreshed each year and this particular list centers books written by authors that identify as BIPOC, connecting with the mission of #DiverseVerse. 

Students read their book independently and we encourage them to make notes about what they notice related to plot and character, themes that surface, and examples of writer’s craft. The culminating project has several parts:

1. Summary - one-page summary of the plot of the novel

2. Analysis of Craft - a description of three poetic techniques encountered with commentary on the effect on the reader

3. Reflection - a short reflection on verse as a form of storytelling and how they felt while reading

4. Poem & Process Reflection - a poem of their own creation that centers on the “heart” of the story and mimics the author’s style AND a brief reflection on their writing process

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The project has generated many insightful reflections from our students and produced some wonderful and creative pieces of poetry. Some student examples are below:

Analysis - 6th Grade Student - The Moon Within by Aida Salazar

1. Salazar uses visual techniques to create a stronger image in the reader’s mind. For example, when the main character, Celi, is explaining how she wishes her hair looked, she imagines that “It is slick// and long// like a// s//i//r//e// n// a// ’s” (72). The way the author makes the word fall down the page causes the reader to picture long, straight hair. This helps the reader understand Celi’s long for different hair and how she imagines it would feel.

2. Additionally, Salazar uses line breaks to make ideas more dramatic. For example, when Celi and Magda create a model to represent the control the moon has over the ocean, Celi thinks about how much control the moon has over her. She wonders, “Is it Luna that// pulls me// to// keep secrets// to// heart Iván// to// scowl at Aurora// to// grove with Magda// to// dance?” (92). By separating each idea with a “to” on its own line, the author causes the reader to slow down between each idea as they read and think about what it means. By slowing the reader down, Salazar makes the ideas she is conveying more significant to the reader.

3. Lastly, Salazar uses similes to help the reader understand how Celi feels at different points in the book. For example, when Celi feels guilty after she sides with a boy who is teasing her best friend, Celi thinks about how “ betraying [her friend] feels like// a huge bug has landed on my head// and its shameful venom drips down// like egg on [her] face” (147). The author uses two similes here to help the reader understand how much the guilt is weighing her down. The reader can feel the egg dripping on their face as they read. The feeling of having egg and bugs on your head is hard to stop thinking about, much like Celi’s guilt. This is one way that Salazar uses similes to help the reader feel the way Celi feels.

Reflection - 6th Grade Student - The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

There are many differences to me as a reader between reading a verse novel and a prose novel. One difference I noted was that poetry tends to be more expressive and prose is less expressive. In a prose novel, I personally feel that there is less interpretation and room to view things differently. Things are written as they are, and it mainly sticks to a plot. However, in a verse novel, there are so many things that affect how you see the poem. Each line can mean something different. Poetry is not as set and defined as a prose novel is, and there is a lot of room to view it differently. Another difference I noticed between poetry and prose is that poetry tends to use more writing techniques. Both use techniques such as similes, metaphors, consonance, allusion, and imagery. Poetry, tends to use them more often in the span of the poem. Prose doesn’t use them as much, as they do have to keep the story and plot going. Those are some differences between prose and poetry to me as a reader. 

Poem from the Heart & Reflection - 6th Grade Student - Catching a Storyfish by Janice N. Harrington

Goodbye Home

We slowly drive away, 
From our warm little town,
Maybe forever, 
I say goodbye to everything,
From my favorite store,
To the stop sign on the corner
I wish it could stop us from moving

Our little river of a town, 
Quickly becomes the ocean of the highway
I look out the window,
But all there is to see are
the poofy trees, 
the little yellow dashes on the smoothly paved road,
and cars. Lots of cars

I close my eyes,
and think of,
Trying to lick up my ice cream, 
before it melts all over me.
And then I just listen,
To the buzz of the highway
Trying to soak up my memories,
Before they melt away 

For my poem I chose to write about the physical trip the main character takes from Alabama to Illinois. I thought that it was interesting how the author told the reader that Keet had moved but she never actually described the move, the book started with her already in Illinois. So, I decided that this is what I would write my poem about. I also felt that the best place to put my poem would fall after she describes not wanting to move, but before she illustrates her new house. Writing from the point of view of Keet was an effortless decision, by reason of her being the main character, and I also related to her the most as a young girl. I tried my best to write as similarly to Janice N. Harrington as possible; I even used the same font. I made sure to include vivid and specific descriptions, and metaphors, especially ones relating to fish. I also included some enjambment and onomatopoeia. In conclusion, I thought about what the characters experience would be in this situation, and from there I wrote my poem keeping in mind the techniques of the author.  

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Teaching with novels in verse has so many benefits for student learning and literacy growth. The project is adaptable for middle and high school students and teachers are welcome to use the resources below to create their own versions of this unit.

Verse Novel Project Guidelines

Middle Grade & YA Books by BIPOC Authors

Glossary of Terms in Poetry