2025 Books in Verse

RECOMMENDEDREADS JFICTION:BOOKSINVERSE

JLEZO, A

DeerRun Home

AnnClare LeZotte

EffieisDeaf, andnooneinherfamily speakssignlanguage, herlanguage. Thismovingstoryofsurvivaland foundfamily, inspiredbyatruecourt case, isperfectforfansofWonderand OutofMyMind.

ShifaSaltagi Safadi Kareem Between JSAFA, S

This heartfelt coming-of-age novel in verse tells the powerful story of a seventh-grade Syrian American boy and his struggles, big and small, as he navigates middle school.

JFIPPS, L

AndThen, Boom!

LisaFipps

Joe Oak is used to living on unsteady ground with a mom who takes off whenever she gets “The Itch.” He loves superheroes and their “and then, boom” moments, where everything threatens to go bust but somehow they land on their feet, which seems to happens to Joe a lot too.

JSUMN, J

JamieSumner DeepWater

Twelve-year-old Tully's attempt to swim across Lake Tahoe and become the youngest person to complete the famous "Godfather" swim takes a dangerous turn, forcing her to choose between safety and a win that could change everything.

Katherine Applegate Odder

Inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, this poignant and humorous tale told in free verse examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved and charming animals.

JHOOD, S

SusanHood Lifeboat5

In the wake of Lifeboat 12 comes a “gripping, harrowing” World War II novel-in-verse by acclaimed author Susan Hood about two very real girls who clung together for dear life when their evacuee ship was torpedoed, their lifeboat capsized, and they spent nineteen hours in the Atlantic Ocean, waiting for rescue.

JSALA, A

AidaSalazar Ultraviolet

Thirteen-year-old Elio is struggling with "coming of age"--first love, first heartbreak, first real fight, and what it means to be a "man", a true friend, and an ally.

Isabelin Bloom JRESP, M

MaeRespicio

A girl discovers a connection between her home in the Philippines and her new home in the U.S. through a special garden.

JWILL, A

Mid-Air

AliciaWilliams

A tender-souled boy reeling from the death of his best friend struggles to fit into a world that wants him to grow up tough and unfeeling.

JARAN, A

Something LikeHome

AndreaBeatriz Arango

When a lost dog helps Laura find a way home to her family, they discover family in each other along the way.

Mascot JWATE, C

CharlesWaters

A class assignment to debate whether Rye's mascot should stay or change turns ugly. Written from several points of view, this novel in verse asks, "What happens when a mascot is seen as racist, but not by everyone?"

, D

OneAlley Summer JYLVI, A

AnneYlvisaker

A pitch-perfect novel in verse about one girl's wish to simultaneously break free and to belong.

A space-loving girl learns how art and Indigenous Sky Stories can help her look at the world differently.

Afraid her and her sister could lose sight of their Vietnamese identity, twelve-year-old Bom writes a poetic memoir to help them both remember. DawnQuigley

The story of urban Native kids who find strength in connection with those who came before and in the hope that lets them take flight.