Every time I try to suggest a novel in verse, it starts off rocky. Please, be skeptical, but don’t close this booklist just yet!
A novel in verse is a story told through poetry. That doesn’t mean it all rhymes. That doesn’t even mean it’s quick (although it can be). I have spent way too long poring over a page of a novel in verse, just to drink it in a little more. If you’ve never tried one, please take a look at any of the titles below. You may find a new genre you love. I chose to feature titles with characters of color at center stage, and where possible I have included #OwnVoices authors. For more titles that feature characters of color, check out the Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Books for Teens list.
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All his life, Michael has navigated what it means to be Greek-Cypriot and Jamaican—but never quite feeling Greek or Black enough. As he gets older, Michael’s coming out is only the start of learning who he is and where he fits in. When he discovers the Drag Society, he finally finds where he belongs—and the Black Flamingo is born. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Overdrive/Libby.
A mixed-race girl with an interest in astronomy feels like an outsider when she moves to an all-white town in Vermont in 1969. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eAudio on Hoopla.
As Will, fifteen, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn’s fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know. You can also check out this title as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby or as eBook on OverDrive/Libby.
Written in blank verse, the story of Mildred Loving, an African American girl, and Richard Loving, a Caucasian boy, who challenge the Viriginia law forbidding interracial marriages in the 1950s. You can also check out this title as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby, as eBook on OverDrive/Libby, as eAudio on Hoopla or as eBook on Hoopla.
Her mom wants her to have a moon ceremony for her first period, as part of their family’s Mexican heritage, but Celi Rivera refuses to entertain the thought. With her body changing and her best friend telling her they are genderfluid, Celi wants to keep some of her life private and give herself time to figure things out. You can also check out this title as eBook on Overdrive/Libby or as eBook in Spanish on Overdrive/Libby.
Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative’s home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises. Includes glossary of Arabic words. You can also check out this title as eAudio on OverDrive/Libby, as eBook on OverDrive/Libby, as eAudio on Hoopla or as eBook on Hoopla.
Ever since her body grew into curves, Xiomara Batista has felt unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood and she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking, but Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Overdrive/Libby, as eBook on Overdrive/Libby, as eAudio on Hoopla and as eBook on Hoopla.
Seventeen-year-old Blade endeavors to resolve painful issues from his past and navigate the challenges of his former rock star father’s addictions, scathing tabloid rumors, and a protected secret that threatens his own identity. You can also check out this title as eAudio on Overdrive/Libby, as eBook on Overdrive/Libby, as eAudio on Hoopla or as eBook on Hoopla.