Middle grade novels in verse have been around for a while. not sure what that is? novels in verse are novels written in stanzas, much like poetry. they are still woven into dialogue, characters, and all the elements of a novel. I’m not a big fan of verse novels (generally) because they tend to lack the level of detail that I enjoy in novels.
However, I have read some novels in verse that I love. I will mark them with a heart ❤️. so if you’re new to verse novels (but love poetry), you can start with those with my wholehearted support. anyone can enjoy mid-grade verse novels, but I definitely think Poetry lovers would gravitate more toward this narrative form. They also work well for ESL students as the vocabulary tends to be simpler and more accessible.
You are reading: Books in verse middle school
Middle-Grade Novels in Verse
here are 58 best middle grade novels in verse:
locomotion
Published: January 6, 2003
When lonnie was seven years old, his parents died in a fire. she is now eleven years old and she still misses them terribly. and she misses her little sister, lili, who was put in a different foster home because “not a lot of people want kids, not foster kids that aren’t babies”. But Lonnie hasn’t given up. His adoptive mother, Miss Edna, is falling in love with him. she has already raised two children and seems to know what motivates them. and his teacher, Mrs. Marcus, is showing her ways to put her confused feelings on paper.
Told in its entirety through Lonnie’s poetry, we see his anguish over the loss of his family, his thoughtful perspective on the world around him, and most of all, his love for Lili and his determination to one day return. to reunite at least half of his family. . Jacqueline Woodson’s moving story of love, loss, and hope is written in lyrics and hugely accessible.
only
Published: January 12, 2021
When twelve-year-old maddie hatches a plan for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up in the middle of a nightmare. she is alone, abandoned in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned.
With no one to trust, no electricity, and no working phone lines or internet access, maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. her only companions are a rottweiler named george and all the books she can read. After a rocky start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a deserted and forgotten place.
As the months go by, escape from natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive get her through the most terrifying experience of her life?
other words for home ❤️
Published: April 6, 2021
jude never thought she would leave her beloved older brother and father behind, across the ocean in syria. But when things in his hometown start to get volatile, Jude and his mom are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.
At first, everything in the US seems too fast and too noisy. The American movies Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her to start school in the United States, and her new “Middle Eastern” label, an identity she’s never known before.
But this life also brings unexpected surprises: there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical Jude could be in. maybe America is also a place where jude can be seen for who he really is.
closer to nothing
Published: October 6, 2020
For the most part, hannah’s life is just the way she wants it. she has two supportive parents, she is popular in school and has been doing well in gym. but when her cousin Cal de Ella moves in with her family, everything changes. Cal tells half-truths and tall tales, constantly teasing hannah and seems to be the reason her parents are fighting more and more. nothing is like before. She knows Cal went through a lot after her mom died and she’s trying to be patient, but most days Hannah just wishes Cal had never moved out.
For his part, Cal is doing his best to fit in, but not everyone appreciates his unique sense of humor and storytelling skills as much as he does. Humor and stories may be his defense mechanism, but if Cal doesn’t bring down his walls soon, he could alienate the very people who are doing everything they can to love him.
Told in verse from the alternate perspectives of Hannah and Cal, this is the story of two cousins who are more alike than they think and the family they both want to save.
before ever after ❤️
Published: September 1, 2020
for as long as zj can remember, his father has been everyone’s hero. As a charming and talented professional soccer star, he is as loved by the neighborhood kids he plays with as he is by his millions of sports fans. but lately life at zj’s house is anything but charming. his dad has trouble remembering things and he seems to be angry all the time. zj’s mother explains that she is due to all the head injuries his father suffered during his career. zj can understand that, but it doesn’t make the sting any less real when his own father forgets his name. As ZJ contemplates his new reality, he has to figure out how to hold on to family traditions and memories of the glory days, all the while wondering what his past amounts to if his father can’t remember him. And more importantly, can those happy feelings be regained when everyone is so busy pining for the past?
forget me not
Published: March 14, 2017
calliope june, an astronomy lover, has tourette’s syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces or makes noises she doesn’t mean to make. when she and her mom move in again, she tries to hide the ts from her. But it’s not long before the kids at her new school realize she’s different. only calliope’s neighbor, who is also the popular student body president, sees her for who she really is: an interesting person and a good friend. but is he brave enough to go public with her friendship?
As Calliope navigates school, she must also come to terms with her mother’s new relationship and the fact that they might move away, again, just as she begins to make friends and finally come to terms with their differences.
partly verse and part prose with two intertwined viewpoints, ellie terry’s moving debut will speak to a wide audience about being true to yourself.
the weight of water
Published: July 23, 2013
With only a suitcase and an old laundry bag full of clothes, Kasienka and her mother immigrate to England from Poland. Kasienka is not the happiest girl in the world. At home, her mother suffers from a broken heart as she searches for Kasienka’s father. And at school, Kasienka has trouble being the new girl and making friends. the only time she feels comforted is when she is swimming in the pool. but she can’t shake the feeling that she’s sinking. until a new guy comes into her life and she learns there may be more than one way to stay afloat.
The Weight of Water is a coming-of-age story that deftly handles the themes of immigration, alienation, and first love. Poignantly and poetically rendered, this novel in verse is the story of a young woman whose determination to discover who she is prevails.
macy mcmillian and the rainbow goddess
Published: May 15, 2017
Sixth grade is coming to an end, as is life as Macy Mcmillan knows it. There’s already a “for sale” sign on the front lawn of her beloved home. soon her mother will change her perfect little family from her, adding a stepfather and six-year-old twin stepsisters. To add insult to injury, what is Macy’s sixth grade final homework assignment? a genealogy project. well, she’ll procrastinate, just like those wedding centerpieces she’s supposed to make.
Just when macy’s mom should be understanding, she sends macy next door to help eighty-six-year-old iris gillan, who’s also preparing to move, in her case to a life center. assisted. Iris can’t pack a single box by herself, and what’s worse, she doesn’t know sign language. how is macy supposed to understand her? But Iris has stories to tell, and she’s not going to let Macy’s deafness stop her. soon, through notes, books, and cookies, a friendship grows. And this strange and unexpected friendship may be just what Macy needs to navigate the changes in her life.
starfish ❤️
Published: March 9, 2021
ever since ellie wore a whale bathing suit and caused a stir at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by fat girl rules, such as “don’t make waves”, “avoid eating in public” and “don’t move so fast that her body moves”. and she has found her safe space, her pool, where she feels weightless in a world obsessed with fat. In the water, she can stretch out like a starfish and take up as much space as she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to go on a diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support from her cheering her on, Ellie could finally let go of the fat girl and starfish rules in real life, unapologetically being herself and fabulous.
related: lisa fipps on starfish, fatphobia, and being fat people’s best allies
everywhere blue ❤️
Published: June 1, 2021
When Maddie’s twelve-year-old older brother disappears from the college campus, her carefully ordered world falls apart. nothing will fill the void of her dear older brother. meanwhile maddie’s older sister reacts by staying up late, and maddie’s parents are always distracted with the search for strumming. drowning in grief and confusion, the family’s musical house falls silent.
although maddie is the youngest, she knows how to play the strumming better than anyone. he used to confide in her, sharing her fears about the climate crisis and the future of her planet. So, Maddie starts looking for clues: Strum She was she sad? Were the arguments with her father getting worse? Or could her disappearance have something to do with those endangered butterflies she loved. . .
Frightened and alone, Maddie picks up the pieces of her family’s broken lives. maybe her parents aren’t who she thought they were. maybe her nervous thoughts and compulsive counting mean she needs help. and maybe finding strum won’t solve everything, but she knows he’s out there and she has to try.
This powerful first novel in verse tackles the climate crisis, intergenerational discourse, and mental illness in an accessible and hopeful way. Featuring a beautiful narrative voice, Blue Everywhere is perfect for fans of Eventown and OcDaniel.
the magical imperfect ❤️
etan has stopped talking since his mother left. his father and his grandfather don’t know how to help him. His friends have given up on him.
When etan is asked to deliver a grocery order on the outskirts of town, he realizes he’s at the home of malia agbayani, aka the creature. Malia stopped going to school when her acute eczema spread to her face and her bullying became too much.
As the two become friends, other kids tease Etan for meeting the creature. But he believes that he might have a cure for Malia’s condition, if only he could convince her and his family to believe it too. Even if it works, will these two outcasts find where they fit in?
related: chris baron on the magical imperfect (+gift!)
red, white and whole ❤️
Published: February 2, 2021
reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she is the only American Indian student, and home, with her family’s traditions and festivities. But Reha’s parents don’t understand why she is conflicted: they only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. reha feels disconnected from her mother, or amma, although her names are related (reha means “star” and punam means “moon”), but they are a separate universe.
then reha finds out her amma is sick. very sick.
Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can’t bear to see blood, is determined to get her amma back on her feet. she will be the perfect daughter, if it means saving her mom’s life.
related; rajani larocca on red, white and whole, family and the 80s
heartbeat
Published: October 6, 2009
run run run. that’s what twelve-year-old annie loves to do. When she’s barefoot and running, she can hear her heart beating… thump, thump, thump.
It’s a rhythm that makes sense in a year when everything changes: his mother is pregnant, his grandfather is forgetful and his best friend, max, is always in a bad mood. everything changes over time, just like apple annie has been assigned to draw hundreds of times.
Newberry Medal winner Sharon Creech masterfully weaves together this tender and insightful story told in free verse about a young girl beginning to understand the many rhythms of life and how she fits into them.
inside out & come back again
Published: February 22, 2011
Inspired by the author’s childhood experience as a refugee (fleeing Vietnam after the fall of Saigon and emigrating to Alabama), this first coming-of-age novel told in verse has been celebrated for its poignant childhood vision of family. and immigration. .
hà has only known saigon: the excitement of its markets, the joy of its traditions and the warmth of its close friends. but now the vietnam war has come to his house. hà and his family are forced to flee when saigon falls, and they board a ship headed for hope, for america.
the crossing
Published: March 18, 2014
“with lightning in my kicks . . . the court is sizzling. my sweat is drizzling. Leave all that shudder. Because tonight I’m giving birth,” raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. thanks to his dad, he and his twin brother, jordan, are kings on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood: he also has crazy rhythms that help him find his rhythm when everything is on the line.
As his winning season unfolds, things start to change. When Jordan meets a girl, the twins’ bond is undone. Told in dynamic verse, this middle grade fast and furious novel that started it all absolutely bounces with rhythm and bursts with heart.
the only ivan
Published: January 17, 2012
having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his mall enclosure, ivan has grown accustomed to being watched by humans. he hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. instead, ivan deals with television, with his friends stella and bob, and with painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see her home and his art through new eyes.
related: 7 books like the unique ivan
the edge of the canon
Published: September 16, 2020
One year after a random shooting changed their family forever, Nora and her father are exploring a canyon deep in the Arizona desert, hoping it will help them find peace. ella nora longs for things to return to normal, like when her mother was still alive, while her father keeps them isolated for fear of other people. But when they reach the bottom of the canyon, the unthinkable happens: a flash flood crosses their path, washing away Nora’s father and all her supplies.
Suddenly, Nora finds herself lost and alone in the desert, facing dehydration, poisonous scorpions, deadly snakes and, worst of all, the beast that has terrorized her dreams for the past year. If Ella Nora is to save herself and her father, she must conquer her fears, defeat the beast, and find the courage to live her new life.
the wild book
Published: March 20, 2012
fefa has problems with words. he has word blindness or dyslexia, and the doctor says he will never read or write. every time he tries, the letters scramble and spill off the page, jumping like bullfrogs. How will she ever understand them?
but his mother has an idea. she gives fefa a blank book full of clean white pages. “Think of it like a garden,” she says. soon fefa begins to scatter words across the pages of her wild book. she lets her words sprout like seedlings, shaky at first, then stronger and surer every day. And when her family is threatened, it’s what Fefa has learned from her wild book that saves them.
I love that dog
Published: July 24, 2001
i love that dog shows how a boy named jack finds his voice with the help of a teacher, a pencil, some yellow paper, and of course, a dog. Written as a series of free verse poems from Jack’s point of view, this novel is also perfect for children and teachers.
jack hates poetry. only girls write it and every time he tries it, his brain feels empty. But his teacher, Miss Stretchberry, keeps giving him poetry homework in class, and Jack can’t help it. but then something amazing happens. the more he writes, the more he learns that he has something to say.
the night diary ❤️
*more epistolary, but still in verse form.
See Also: Alan Gratz – Book Series In Order
Published: March 6, 2018
It’s 1947 and India, newly independent from British rule, has split into two countries: Pakistan and India. the division has created a lot of tension between Hindus and Muslims, with hundreds of thousands dying crossing borders.
Twelve-year-old half-Muslim, half-Hindu
nisha no longer knows where she belongs or what her country is. when dad decides it’s too dangerous to stay in what is now pakistan, nisha and her family become refugees, embarking first by train and then on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can’t imagine losing her homeland as well. But even if her country has been shattered, Nisha still believes in the possibility of rebuilding.
Told through Nisha’s letters to her mother, The Night Diary is a moving story of a girl’s search for a home, her own identity…and a hopeful future.
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related: 8 books like… the night diary
may b.
Published: January 10, 2012
may is helping out on a neighbor’s kansas prairie farm, only until christmas, dad says. she wants to contribute, but it’s hard being separated from her family by 15 long, unknown miles. then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned.
Trapped in a tiny snow-covered grass house, cut off from her family and neighbors, May must prepare for the coming winter. As he struggles to survive, May’s memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. but she is determined to find her way home again. Written in beautiful and riveting verse, Caroline Starr Rose’s fast-paced novel gives readers a strong new heroine to love.
the last fifth grade of emerson elementary
*didn’t read this, but laura shovan is phenomenal – loved the takedown.
Published: April 12, 2016
Laura Shovan’s captivating and generous debut is a time capsule of one class’s poems during a transformative school year. families change and new friendships are formed as these fantastic kids grow and progress in this fantastic novel in verse about finding your voice and making sure others hear it.
Eighteen children, a year of poems, a school about to close. two yellow bulldozers crouched outside, ready to swallow the building in one gulp.
but watch out, bulldozers.ms. hill’s fifth grade class has plans for you. they will talk and work together to save their school.
brunette girl dreaming
Published: August 28, 2014
Raised in south carolina and new york, woodson always felt at home everywhere. In vivid poems, he shares what it was like for her growing up as an African-American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the civil rights movement. poignant and powerful, each poem is accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a girl’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through story writing, even though she struggled with reading as a child. her love for her stories inspired and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the talented writer he would become.
learn mysteries: girls who love math
Published: August 4, 2020
After spending her childhood stargazing, caroline herschel became the first woman to discover a comet and earn a salary for scientific research. florence nightingale was a pioneering nurse whose work reformed hospitals and one of the founders of the field of medical statistics. The first electrical engineer, Hertha Mark Ayrton registered twenty-six patents for her inventions.
marie tharp helped create the first map of the entire ocean floor, helping scientists understand our underwater world and suggesting how continents moved. A mathematical prodigy, katherine johnson calculated trajectories and launch windows for many nasa projects, including the apollo 11 mission. edna lee paisano, a citizen of the nez perce nation, She was the first Native American to work full-time for the Census Bureau, overseeing a large increase in American Indian and Alaska Native representation. and vera rubin studied more than two hundred galaxies and found the first solid evidence of dark matter.
Told in vibrant and evocative poems, this stunning novel celebrates seven remarkable women who used mathematics as a key to explore the mysteries of the universe and grew up to do groundbreaking work that changed the world.
house arrest
Published: October 6, 2015
timothy is on parole. it is a strange word, something that happens to other children, to delinquents, not to children like him. and yet he is under house arrest for the next year. he must check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist, and keep a diary for an entire year. and above all, he has to stay out of trouble. But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves harder than Timothy ever thought it would be. At once poignant and funny, and always original, House Arrest is a mid-grade novel in verse about a boy’s path to redemption as he navigates life with a sick brother, a grieving mother, and a tough parole officer. .
under the broken sky
Published: October 15, 2019
Twelve-year-old Natsu and his family live a quiet life on a farm in Manchuria, near the border with the Soviet Union. But the life they’ve known begins to unravel when her father is drafted into the Japanese army, leaving Natsu and her little sister Asa orphaned and destitute. In a desperate move to keep his sister alive, Natsu sells Asa to a Russian family in the aftermath of the Soviet occupation of 1945. Natsu’s journey toward redemption for Natsu’s broken family is fraught with struggle, but Natsu is tenacious and will not stop at nothing to get her little sister back. Literally and historically insightful, this is one of the great untold stories of World War II. Like Thanhha Lai’s Upside Down and Upside Down Newbery Honor Book, Mariko Nagai Under The Broken Sky is powerful, moving, and ultimately hopeful.
reserved
Published: April 5, 2016
no one can stop you, no one can control you…
In this sequel to newbery-winner, crossover, soccer, family, love and friendship take center stage. Twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he struggles with problems at home, stands up to a bully and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him out are his best friend and sometimes teammate, Coby, and Mac, a rapper librarian who gives Nick inspiring books to read.
catch a story fish
Published: September 20, 2016
keet knows that the only good thing about moving from her home in alabama is that she will be living close to her beloved grandfather. When Keet starts school, she is even worse than she expected, as the kids make fun of her for her Southern accent. now keet, who can “talk about the whiskers of a catfish”, doesn’t want to open her mouth. however, little by little, while she fishes with her grandfather, she learns the art of listening.
Little by little, she makes her first new friend. but just as she begins to adjust, her grandfather has a stroke and, although he is still close to her, he suddenly feels very far from her. Keet is determined to lure him to her by telling him stories; in the process, she finds her and her grandfather’s voice again.
where I live
Published: June 21, 2007
diana loves where she lives. she loves the astronomy charts on her walls and the fact that she can say hello to her best friend, rose, from her own window. and best of all, a wren has recently made her home right next to her front door! When her family is forced to move, Diana wonders if she’ll ever find that same happy, grounded feeling again.
This tender and ultimately redemptive story in poems is about those safe and satisfying friendships that come naturally and easily when you live right next door, and the struggles of losing the comfort of a familiar place.
the red pencil
Published: September 16, 2014
Life in the peaceful Sudanese village of Amira is shattered when Janjaweed attackers arrive, unleashing unspeakable horrors. After losing almost everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to the safety of a refugee camp. he begins to lose hope, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens his mind and all kinds of possibilities.
moo
Published: August 30, 2016
When Reena, her little brother Luke, and their parents first move to Maine, Reena doesn’t know what to expect. she’s ready for the beach, blueberries and all the lobster she can eat. Instead, her parents “volunteer” Reena and Luke to work for an eccentric neighbor named Mrs. falala, who has a pig named paulie, a cat named china, a snake named edna, and that stubborn cow, zora.
This moving story, told in a mix of poetry and prose, reveals the bonds that arise when we allow others into our lives.
under a broken sky
Published: October 15, 2019
A beautifully told verse novel about a Japanese orphan’s experience in occupied rural Manchuria during World War II.Twelve-year-old natsu and his family live a quiet farm life in Manchuria, near the border of the Soviet Union. But the life they’ve known begins to unravel when his father is drafted into the Japanese army, leaving Natsu and his little sister Asa orphaned and destitute. In a desperate move to keep his sister alive, Natsu sells Asa to a Russian family in the aftermath of the Soviet occupation of 1945. Natsu’s journey toward redemption for Natsu’s broken family is fraught with struggle, but Natsu is tenacious and will not stop at nothing to get her little sister back. Literally and historically insightful, this is one of the great untold stories of World War II. Like Thanhha Lai’s Upside Down and Upside Down Newbery Honor Book, Mariko Nagai Under The Broken Sky is powerful, moving, and ultimately hopeful.
garvey’s choice
Published: October 4, 2016
Garvey’s father always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading, anything but sports. feeling like a failure, he consoles himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he too is overweight, picked on by bullies and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school choir, Garvey’s life changes. The choir finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through the choir, Garvey finds a way to accept himself and a way to finally reach his estranged father, speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports.
red butterfly
Published: February 3, 2015
Kara never knew her biological mother. Abandoned as a child, she was taken in by an American woman living in China. now eleven years old, kara spends most of her time in her apartment, wondering why she and mom can’t leave tianjin city and go live with dad in montana. Mom tells Kara to be content with what she has… but what if Kara secretly wants more?
all things shiny
*half in prose, half in verse.
Published: April 17, 2018
lauren prides herself on being a good sister and sierra is used to taking care of her mom. when lauren’s parents send her brother to a therapeutic boarding school for adolescents with autism and sierra moves into a foster home in lauren’s affluent neighborhood, both girls are at a loss until they find a deep bond between them. But when Laura recruits Sierra to help with a Robin Hood scheme to raise money for autistic children who lack her family’s resources, Sierra has a lot to lose if the plan goes awry.
Lauren must learn that having good intentions isn’t the only thing that matters when fighting injustice, and Sierra must realize that sometimes the person you need to take care of is yourself.
reckless glorious girl
Published: February 23, 2021
beatrice miller may have a grandmother’s name (her grandmother, to be more specific), but she loves her mom and her mom, who give her all the wisdom and love they have. But the summer before seventh grade, Ella wants more than she has, she aches for what she can’t have, and wonders what the future holds.
This novel in verse follows Beatrice through the ups and downs of friendships, puberty, and identity as she asks: Who am I? who will I become? And will my outside ever match the way I feel inside?
a beautiful intergenerational story of southern women and the journey of a girl blossoming into her sense of self, reckless, glorious, girl explores the important questions we all ask ourselves as we race to maturity.
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the only thing you would save
Published: March 16, 2021
When a teacher asks their class what they would store in case of an emergency, some students know the answer right away. others come to their decisions more slowly. and some change their minds when they hear their peers’ responses. Lively dialogue ignites as students discover unexpected sides of each other and themselves. With her ear for authentic dialogue and insight into tween priorities and emotions, Linda Sue Park brings to life the varied voices of an inclusive classroom through carefully honed verse that is instantly engaging and accessible.
unstable
Published: May 11, 2021
When her family moves from Pakistan to the town of Peachtree, all Nurah wants is to be a low profile, but she sticks out for all the wrong reasons. nurah’s accent, floral print kurtas and tea-colored fur make her feel left out, until she meets stahr at swim trials. and in the water, she nurah does not want to mix. she wants to win medals like her brother her star athlete, owais, who is going through her own struggles in the united states. however, when sibling rivalry gets in the way, she makes a split-second decision of betrayal that changes her fate.
Finally, nurah gradually gains confidence in the form of strong arms and swimmers, and also gains the courage to stand up to bullies, stand up for what she believes in, and find her place.
the places where we sleep
Published: August 25, 2020
early september 2001 and twelve-year-old abbey is the new one at school. again.
I worry about people talking to me / and I worry just as much / when they don’t.
Tennessee is his family’s last stop in a series of moves due to his father’s job in the military, but this one could be different. Ella’s school is far from the base, and for the first time, Abbey has found a true friend: loyal, brave and athletic Camille.
and then it’s 9/11. The country is under attack, and Abbey’s “home” looks like it might fall apart. America has changed overnight.
how are we supposed to / keep this up / with the world / collapsing / around us?
Abbey’s body changes too, as her classmates argue and her family wavers. like everyone around her, she tries to make sense of her own experience as part of the country’s collective pain. With her mother grieving and her father preparing for active duty, Ella Abbey must learn to cope on her own.
Written in beautiful narrative verse, Abbey’s coming-of-age story accessible portrays the military family’s experience during a tumultuous period in our history. both personal and universal, it is a perfect read for fans of sensitive and tender books like the one about jellyfish.
golden girl ❤️
See Also: The Best Children’s Books of 2018
Published: February 22, 2022
7th grader aafiyah loves playing tennis, reading weird but true facts, and hanging out with her best friend, zaina. However, Ella Aafiyah has a bad habit that worries her: she is attracted to pretty things and can’t help but “borrow” them from time to time.
But when her father is falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit and is taken away by the authorities, Aafiyah knows she has to do something to help. When he thinks of a way to bring his father back, he turns to his strange but true deeds and devises the perfect plan.
But what if your plan is to give in to your bad habit, the one you’ve been trying to stop? Aafiyah wants to reunite her family, but discovers that her plan may not be so perfect after all. . .
the colors of the rain
Published: September 18, 2018
Set against the backdrop of the 1972 desegregation battles in Houston, Texas, this free verse middle grade historical novel is about a boy and his family coping with loss and deprivation. revelation of dark family secrets. .
paulie sanders, age ten, hates his name because it also belonged to his dad, his dad who killed a white man and then crashed his car. With her mother unable to cope, Paulie and her sister Charlie move in with her Aunt Bee and attend a new elementary school. But this is 1972, and this new school puts them right in the middle of the Houston School District’s war on desegregation.
Paulie soon begins to question everything. she hears that her dad’s crime was related to race; She killed a white man defending a black man, and when Paulie starts fighting a black boy at school, she must face his reasons for doing so. When dark family secrets are revealed, the path ahead for everyone will change the way Paulie thinks about family forever.
seraph’s promise
Published: September 24, 2013
serafina made a secret promise to go to school and learn to read so she could become a doctor with her best friend, julie marie. But following her dream isn’t easy: endless tasks, little money, and stomach-churning hunger test her resolve.
When an earthquake strikes and separates serafina from her friends and family, she finds herself in for the biggest test of all. Serafina made a secret promise. Will she survive to keep it?
full cicada moon
Published: April 4, 2017
It’s 1969 and the Apollo 11 mission is preparing to go to the moon. but for mimi, half black, half japanese, moving to a predominantly white vermont town is enough to make her feel strange. Suddenly, Mimi’s appearance is all that everyone notices. she struggles to fit in with her classmates, even as she fights for her right to excel by participating in science competitions and joining shop class instead of home economics. And though teachers and neighbors resist her mestizo family and her refusal to conform, Mimi’s dreams of becoming an astronaut never fade, no matter how many times she’s told no.
This middle grade historical novel is told in poems from Mimi’s perspective over the course of a year in her new town, showing readers that positive change can start with just one person speaking up.
emmy in code key
Published: September 24, 2019
In a new town, at a new school, twelve-year-old emmy has never felt more out of tune. Things start to look up when she takes her first coding class and unexpectedly connects with the material, and with Abigail, a new friend, through a shared language: music.
but when emmy gets some bad news about her computer science teacher and discovers that abigail isn’t being entirely honest about their friendship, she feels like her new life is coming to a halt. Despite these obstacles, Ella Emmy is determined to prove one thing: that she, for the first time, is not a wrong note, but a musician in the world’s most beautiful symphony.
in the beautiful country ❤️
Published: June 14, 2022
anna is eager to move to the beautiful country – the chinese name for america. Although she has only known her life in Taiwan, she can’t help but brag about her move to her family and friends.
but the beautiful country looks nothing like anna’s photo. her family can only afford a small apartment, she is bullied at school and has trouble understanding a new language. On top of that, the restaurant her parents invested her savings in is barely keeping afloat. The version of America that Anna is experiencing is nothing like her dreams. How will she make this beautiful country her home?
pointed
Published: May 25, 2004
For as long as she can remember, Clare and her family have had a dream: one day Clare will be a ballerina in the city’s ballet company. For ten long years, Ella Clare has been taking ballet classes, watching what she eats, putting aside friends and social life, and practicing until her feet bleed, all for the sake of that dream. And now, with the audition for the city’s ballet company just around the corner, the dream feels so close. But what if the dream doesn’t come true? the competition for the sixteen places in the company is fierce and many will not make it. talent, dedication, body shape, size – everything will influence the outcome. clare’s grandfather says she’s already a great dancer, but does she really have what it takes to get into the company? and if not, then what? Told through passionate and moving poems in Clare’s own voice, On Pointe soars with emotion as she explores what it means to achieve a dream, and how dreams can change as quickly and suddenly as our lives do. /p>
all of me
Published: June 11, 2019
ari has body image issues. after moving across the country, her parents work selling and promoting her mother’s paintings and sculptures. ari’s bohemian mother needs space to create, and her father is away for long periods of time on “sales” trips.
meanwhile, ari makes new friends: pick, the player; the artistic jorge and the troubled lisa. He is also relentlessly bullied because he is overweight, but he can’t tell his parents, they just aren’t close enough to listen.
After a disturbing incident, ari’s mom suggests he go on a diet and she gives him a book to help him. but the book, and the diet, cannot fix everything. As Ari deals with the demise of her parents’ marriage, she too feels a change, both emotionally and physically. Here’s a much-needed story about embracing the imperfect in yourself and in life.
brush mom’s hair
Published: September 1, 2009
When your mom has breast cancer, how do you deal with it? ann is just under fifteen years old when mom is diagnosed with breast cancer. How can she tell the girls in ballet class that her mother had her breasts cut off? Her hands-on sister Jane takes over the house; her brother nick calls from california; Dad helps out when he can, as do friends, teachers, and family.
even so, ann is consumed with worry. who’s going to make sure mom drinks enough water, like the doctor said? Unless she’s dancing or making pottery, Ann is completely alone. she has a book that says, “don’t worry about the little things. And it’s all little things.” even cancer?
breakdown
*This one is a bit different because it’s narrated in letters, poems, text messages, news, and comics.
Published: June 5, 2018
nora tucker is looking forward to summer break at wolf creek: two months of swimming, ice cream, and brushing up on her journalism skills for the school newspaper. But when two inmates escape from the town’s maximum security prison, everything changes.
Gates are locked, helicopters fly over the woods, and police patrol the school grounds. worst of all is that everyone is nervous and fear brings out the worst in some people that nora has known all her life. Even if the inmates are caught, she worries that her home will never feel the same.
forward detour
Published: March 1, 2022
every weekday morning, 12-year-old gilah takes the same public bus to her school in washington, dc, and this year, she’s finally allowed to ride alone. On the first day, the bus swerves too close to a bicyclist, and Gilah finds the courage to alert the driver to stop the bus. without a bike, guillermo, 13, starts riding the h4 with gilah. This is the story of a Salvadoran-American boy who is a poet, a neuro-diverse Jewish girl who loves breakdancing, and how they go through the detours of their families, their friendship, and her lives.
house without walls
Published: June 18, 2019
Eleven-year-old Lam escapes Vietnam with Dee Dee during the 1979 Vietnamese Boat People Exodus, when people from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fled their home countries in search of safety. For a refugee, the journey is long and perilous, filled with perilous encounters with pirates and greedy sailors, lack of food and water, and even the stench of a dead body on board.
When they finally reach a refugee camp, Lam befriends Dao, a girl her age who becomes like a sister: a welcome ray of happiness after a terrifying journey.
the moon inside
Published: February 26, 2019
celi rivera’s life is full of questions. over her changing body. her first attraction to a boy. and her best friend’s exploration of what it means to be gender fluid.
but above all, her mother’s insistence that she have a moon ceremony when her first period arrives. It is an ancestral Mexica ritual that Mima and her community have recovered, but Celi promises that she will not participate. Will she be able to find the power within herself to take a stand for who she wants to be?
little bird
Published: April 9, 2019
Twelve-year-old birdie briggs loves birds. they bring him comfort as he thinks of his father, a firefighter who died in the line of duty. life without his dad is not easy, but at least birdie still has mom and maymee, and his friends nina and martin.
but then maymee gets a boyfriend, nina and martin start dating, and birdie’s mom starts dating a police officer. and suddenly not even her dear birds can cheer up the little bird. his world is changing and birdie wishes things would go back to the way they were before. but perhaps change, as painful as it is, can also be beautiful.
everything i knew
Published: August 11, 2020
henry has been deaf from a young age: he’s smart and knows the language, but at age six, he’s decided it’s not safe to talk to strangers. when it comes time for him to start school, he is labeled “unteachable”. Because his family has very little money, his parents and his older sister Molly feel powerless to help him. Henry is sent to Riverview, a bleak institution where he is misunderstood, underestimated, and treated harshly.
Victor, a World War II conscientious objector, is part of a civilian public service program offered as an alternative to compulsory military service. In 1942, he comes to Riverview to work as an assistant and quickly learns that Henry is far from unteachable: he is brave, smart, and sometimes mischievous. Under Victor’s care, Henry begins to see how things can change for the better.
Heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful, Everything I Knew About Helen Frost is inspired by true events and provides keen insight into a little-known element of history.
increasing rain
Published: September 27, 2022
alyson day at harpercollins has purchased, at a multi-publisher auction, rain rising, a middle-grade verse novel by first-time author courtne comrie about a 13-year-old girl named rain, who must find a way through of debilitating sadness after his brother Xander, the star athlete, is beaten up at a frat party. With the help of a circle group at school, Rain begins to help her family heal. publication is planned for May 2022; Rena Rossner of the Deborah Harris Agency made the two-book, six-figure deal for the North American rights.
the land of the cranes
Published: September 15, 2020
nine-year-old Betita knows she’s a crane. Papi has told him her story, even before her family fled to Los Angeles to seek refuge from the cartel wars in Mexico. the aztecs came from a place called aztlan, what is now southwestern us, called the land of the cranes. They left Aztlan to establish their great city at the center of the universe – Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City. it was prophesied that his people would one day return to live among the cranes in their promised land. Papi tells Betita that they are cranes that have come home.
then, one day, betita’s beloved father is arrested by the immigration customs police (ice) and deported to mexico. Betita and her pregnant mother are left alone, but soon they too are detained and must learn to survive in a family detention camp outside Los Angeles. even in cruel and inhumane conditions, betita finds heart in her own poetry and in the community she and her mother find in the camp. The voices of her fellow asylum seekers fly above the hate that keeps them caged, but each day she threatens to bring them down lower than they ever thought they could be. Will Betita and her family be whole again?
iveliz explains everything
Published: September 13, 2022
how do you speak when it seems that nobody listens to you? In this poignant novel in verse, a seventh grade girl facing mental health challenges must find her voice to advocate for the help and understanding she deserves.
listen: the end of primary school? The worst moment of my life? And the beginning of middle school? it just wasn’t quite right.
but this year? I’m going to me.
7th grade will be the year of iveliz. she’s going to make a new friend, help her grandma mimi settle in after moving from puerto rico, and she’s not going to get into any more trouble at school. . .
except is that what happens? Of course, no. because no matter how hard iveliz tries, sometimes people say things that make her really mad. and what’s worse, mimi keeps saying that iveliz’s medicine is unnecessary, even though it helps iveliz feel less sad. but how do you explain your feelings to others when you’re not even sure what’s happening to you?
Powerful and compassionate, Andrea Beatriz Arango’s debut navigates mental health, finding your voice and discovering that those who truly love you will stay by your side.
when you know what I know
Published: March 24, 2020
one day after school, on the couch in the basement, tori’s uncle did something wrong. later, tori tells her mom about him. even though it was a brave thing to tell, his mother still doesn’t believe him at first. his grandmother still sides with her. and tori doesn’t want anyone else, not even her best friend, to know what happened. Tori now finds herself battling mixed emotions (anger, shame, and sadness) as she deals with the trauma. But with the help of her mom, her little sister, her best friend, and others, can Tori find a way to call the shots?
by debut author sonja k. Solter comes a harrowing yet powerful novel that will strike a chord with readers of Jacqueline Woodson and Tony Abbott.
when winter robeson arrived ❤️
Published: January 11, 2022
The whole world seems to be transformed during the summer of 1965, when Eden’s cousin from Mississippi comes to visit her in Los Angeles. Just as the Watts Riots break out, in this poignant new novel by King Honor Award-winner Coretta Scott, Brenda Woods.
When Eden’s cousin Winter comes to visit, it turns out she’s not just there to sightsee. He wants to find out what happened to his father, who disappeared ten years earlier from the Watts area of Los Angeles. so the cousins set out to investigate together, and what they discover brings them both joy and heartache. it also opens up a whole new understanding of his world, just as the area they’re targeting explodes into a standoff between police and black residents. For six days, Watts is like a war zone, with Eden and Winter becoming heroes in their own part of the drama. eden hopes to be a songwriter one day, and the only way she can describe that summer is a song with an unexpected ending, full of changes in tempo and mood, totally unforgettable.
there they are! I hope you find one of these 58 middle grade novels in verse that you like. they want more? Find an up-to-date list of middle grade novels in verse on author Sarah Tregay’s website.
have you read any of these middle grade novels in verse? what books would you add to this list? any favorites here? I would like to know! If you try any of my recs, I’d love to hear what you think.
See Also: Best New Children&039s Christmas Books for 2021
more middle grade book lists
- middle grade books on mental illness
- middle grade black books
- middle grade books by Asian authors
- books on body image and body positivity
- middle grade sports books