Five Treasures to be Found in Novels in Verse

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By Marci Whitehurst Novels in verse are a hybrid form of storytelling. Novels in verse combine a complete narrative with the structure of poetry, bringing depth and richness to the beauty of stories.  Here are five treasures you’ll find in a novel in verse:  POETRY!  This treasure is obvious on every page of a novel in verse. Each page is a poem. The majority are free verse poems, meaning these poems don’t follow a particular meter, form, or rhythm. The poems can stand alone, but when each page of poetry is read from beginning to end, it weaves a full narrative to make a complete story. Check out this example from our own Rebecca J. Gomez’s forthcoming novel in verse:  Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published We call this car, Sandra’s white clunky car, a marshmallow with wheels. It’s riddled with dings and dents, and the rear driver’s side window is stuck stubbornly up and the tear in the vinyl seat pinches if you sit just wrong while wearing shorts
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12 Tips for Connecting with Your Kids Through Books

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 12 Tips for Connecting with Kids Through Books Beyond the Summer

by Rebecca J. Gomez

For many families, making books and reading a priority over the summer is fairly simple with regular trips to the library, summer reading challenges complete with rewards (like pizza!), and just having extra time in general. But a new school year shouldn't mean that connecting with your kids through books and reading should take a back seat, even though your kids will be doing plenty of required reading during the school year. There are lots of ways to keep the literary connection going at home. We hope one or more of these ideas will help.

1. Let kids make their own choices about what to read. Even if you don't read every book with them, you can still connect with your kids by talking to them about what they're reading. This is true even of older kids who aren't into read-alouds any more. Also, remember: graphic novels and comic books are real books!

2. Keep a routine of visiting the public library.

3. Prioritize reading with your child at bedtime, especially on your busiest days.

4. Pick a chapter book to read together as a family. One chapter a day after dinner or before bed is often manageable. A few suggestions for great family read-alouds: 

  • Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech
  • Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 
  • The Giver by Lois Lowry
  • The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin
  • The Chronicles of Narnia (series) by C.S. Lewis
  • Fablehaven (series) by Brandon Mull
Be sure to discuss the story as you read and encourage your children to make predicitons.

5. Have a book-to-movie night! Watch a movie that is an adaptation of a book the whole family has read, then talk about how the book and movie differ. This could be combined with number four! 

Note: Not all book-to-film adaptations are based on novels. There are plenty that are based on picture books too, including Shrek, Mars Needs Moms, and Boss Baby!

6. Flip number five around and read the book on which a movie you've watched was based. Which is better? The book or the movie?

7. Get cooking! Plan a book themed meal. If you read a book that happens to include a recipe (such as the pico de gallo recipe in Federico and the Wolf), work it into a dinner or a weekend brunch. You could even go really crazy and plan a book-themed feast! We do a Hobbit feast every year because our daughter shares a birthday with Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. 

8. Keep an assortment of books in a prominent place in your home. 

9. Take advantage of book orders and book fairs! Give your kids a budget and let them choose a book (or two or three) that interests them.

10. Include books on gift lists. They can be given for birthdays, holidays, or as a reward for an accomplishment. Keep your kiddos' interests in mind when choosing books for them.

11. Watch read-alouds online together. Some good sources for publisher-approved read-alouds are:

12. Visit author and illustrator websites. Authors and illustrators often have plenty of resources to share, including fun stuff to go along with their books. 

If you try some of these ideas, keeping the literary fun alive throughout the school year shouldn't be too hard, even with many families' hectic schedules. 

Do you have any ideas for connecting with kids through books? Which of these ideas have worked for your family? Let us know in the comments!

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Come back tomorrow for the Summer Challenge GIVEAWAY!

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