“A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.”

Dominican teen Xiomara is a powerful poet.  Growing up in a strict Hispanic household, she feels trapped by her mother’s oppressive religious beliefs.  Her voice will grab you and not let go as she processes her relationships and her passion to break out of the confines surrounding her. There is so much raw emotion here. 
“Late into the night I write and the pages of my notebook swell from all the words I’ve pressed onto them. 
It almost feels like the more I bruise the page the quicker something inside me heals.” 
Content warning:  for mature students

Tessa's Picks

​8th grade, Character driven, Family life, Issues fiction, People of color, LGBTQ, Novels in verse

The words in this book are so wise and wonderful, I want to carry it around and speak them to anyone who will listen. I used to think i wouldn't like novels in free verse. Boy was I wrong. Like Brown Girl Dreaming, the verse seems to transport you into the mind and soul of the main character. Mimi Yoshiko Oliver's mother is Japanese and her father is black, and her family moves to a predominantly white town in Vermont  where she is judged by her identity and confined by her gender.
The time is the 1960s and the move from liberal Berkeley California is a culture shock.
Mimi is never afraid to speak her truth or stand up for what she believes.My favorite part is when the white principal tells her that "she is a credit to her race" and as she leaves their exchange she tell him the same thing. She is "Like raindrops on granite." I say,
because we know that's how I persist---
drip, drip, drip
until the granite cracks."
Funny, tender,strong, this is a book you will want to put in the hands of everyone you know.

Tessa's Picks, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, 7th summer 2016, People of color, Novels in verse, Historical fiction, Character driven

  
  A classical dance prodigy in India, Veda’s heart and soul are in her graceful movements.  When an accident on the way home from winning a big competition leaves her with one leg amputated below the knee, her dreams are also shattered.  Fitted with a state of the art prosthesis, she must start over as a beginner.  Her spirit and courage get her into a school with a revered teacher, Dr. Dhanam, who tells her that dancing is not about competition but “something larger and deeper that self.”  With the help of the handsome and talented Govinda, Veda begins to approach dance as a spiritual pursuit. 

This is the inspiring story of a young girl struggling to regain  joy in her art. Told in verse which captures the mystery and beauty of India, it is a moving tribute to the power of art, faith and hope.

tags: Tessa's picks, 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, Contemporary fiction, Novels in verse, Character driven, People of color.

If you're stuck in your room or stuck in a rut,
If your life needs adventure no if, and, or but,
If you love magical creatures and mysteries too,
I've  just the right thing: read Zorgamazoo!

Zorgamazoo is a delightful rhyming romp that reminded me of Dr. Seuss, except in long form. In addition to rhyming, the novel does a lot of fun things with typography and has illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.  Full of weird creatures, clever humor, and adventure this is a great choice for a read-aloud or independent reading.

Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston


Erica's Picks
2nd - 4th Grade
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, Humor, Novels in Verse

Who are you? Are you who they say you are? Or are you someone else? Or perhaps a combination of the two: the public and the private you? Addie has been called many things by many people: to her fellow misfits she's a friend, to her classmates she's a know-it-all, to her boyfriend she's beautiful but infuriating, to her boyfriend's friends she's a loser social-climber, to her ex-best friend Becca she's badly in need of a makeover, to her grandmother she's a reminder of how times have changed, and to herself she's...a girl trying to figure out who she is. 

The format of a novel in verse provided provides an intimacy that allows a good look into Addie’s psyche. Addie worries about her boyfriend and her social status, but she also worries about stories she reads in the newspaper. The poems range from haikus about her cats to long, loosely structured ones about her grandmother and each format fit the subject. This a quick and easy read. Even though it is economical with its words, the descriptions of the plot, character, and setting shine through just as strongly as in a regular novel. Technically it's the third book in a series but you don’t have to read the first two to enjoy it. I'd give it to fans of poetry, but I'd also give it to anyone looking for an outsider school story.

Addie on the Inside by James Howe

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Novels in Verse, School Stories

Ha's mother says that it's luckier for a boy to be the first one to walk around the house on New Year's Day so that honor always goes to one of her brothers. Still, she can't resist secretly waking up just after midnight to touch one toe to the ground. Perhaps she shouldn't have, because this year everything has gone wrong. The war is spreading and Ha's family is fleeing to America for safety. Ha was happy with her family in Vietnam but now everything seems inside-out. She wonders if things will ever go back to the way they were or if her family will be cursed forever.

This novel is written in verse that is sparse and beautiful, yet says so much. The plot moves along and the reader gets to know Ha and everyone around her through her poems. Each poem has a clear subject and could stand on its own, but together they form a bigger picture. The novel is based on the author’s life, so it felt very authentic. Fans of poetry will enjoy this book, but those aren't the only ones. The book reads very similarly to a regular novel so anyone interested in learning about other cultures, and Vietnam in particular will be able to enjoy this book. Anyone who has ever felt like a fish out of water or who has had to deal with older brothers will be able to relate to Ha.

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Erica's Picks
3rd - 6th Grade
Tags: Family Life, Historical Fiction, Novels in Verse, People of Color, Poetry