Five Treasures to be Found in Novels in Verse

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

Story Time Idea: HELLO GOODBYE DOG

 
The final week of the Read, Discuss, Do Summer Challenge is "back to school," and Hello Goodbye Dog by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Patrice Barton is the perfect choice for a school-themed story time! Read this charming story, talk about hellos and goodbyes, and imagine some hello-goodbye scenarios of your own. 

If you don't have this book handy or can't find it at your library, check out this publisher-approved read aloud from Reading is Fundamental. 

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