I’ve never considered myself a reader of poetry. As a teenager, I used to scribble some verses in journals but I grew up to admire the weaving of words in the prose form.
Bit a few years ago, a creative writing instructor introduced me to the verse novel and I was hooked from page one. The sparseness of the sentences, the short chapters, the musicality of the words — everything turned my reading experience into something totally new and exciting.
Think of verse novels as narrative poetry. Each chapter may range from a few lines to a couple of pages or more. Some authors make use of traditional poetry structures but most books I’ve read so far are written in free verse. Another good thing is that verse novels read fast, and thus may be a good option for readers who feel overwhelmed by big books. Although most verse novels are written for younger audiences (middle grade to young adult), adult readers who revel in the beauty of language and stories well told will certainly enjoy them as well.
Brown Girl Dreaming is a brilliant, award-winning memoir by Jacqueline Woodson. The author recollects her childhood in the 1970s in South Carolina, and later on in Brooklyn, with the background of the civil rights movement in America. She describes the differences of being black in the north and in the south, as she felt it as a child. Woodson ponders race, faith and family in an inspiring coming-of-age novel where she also testifies of her love of words and her journey to become a writer.
In Inside Out and Back Again, Hà is a 10-year old Vietnamese girl whose family flees their country during the war. She finds a new home in Alabama as a refugee and describes her struggles adjusting to a new life. Here, the verse novel format fits perfectly as the protagonist doesn’t have enough words yet to express her feelings, Hà is learning English. Immigrants can definitely relate to Hà’s journey as she integrates in a new society and culture. The story, inspired by author Thanhha Lai’s own experience, is charming, poignant and funny at times.
Alexander Kwame tells the story of twin boys who love basketball in The Crossover. But it’s more than a sports story, The Crossover is about sibling rivalry, jealousy and family relationships. The narrator, Josh, struggles when his brother starts dating a girl. Meanwhile, the pressure is on for both boys, sons of the great basketball player Chuck “Da Man” Bell, who seems to be facing health issues. Some chapters just scream to be read out loud, the hip hop-like rhythm of the poetry is amazing. Kwame uses basketball as a metaphor for life in this acclaimed novel that won the Newbery Medal in 2014.
Veda lives and breathes dance in India in A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman. Her dreams shatter after a car accident, when she loses part of her leg. Dance is not the same with her prosthetic leg, or so she thinks, until she meets Govinda, a young man who teaches her how to dance from the heart instead of only with her body. It’s a story about perseverance, humility and grace.
If you are looking for a bedtime story for older kids, Zorgamazoo will delight the whole family. In a style that’s a blend of Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss, Canadian author Robert Paul Weston guides the reader through the adventures of Katrina Katrell and Morty in search for the missing zorgles of Zorgamazoo. The special thing about this book is that all its 281 pages are written in rhymes — you definitely have to read it out loud.
Fill your life with more lyrical prose at your local library.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Ana Calabresi works at Port Moody Public Library.
