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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NORTH WOODS GIRL Review and Nature Collage

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North Woods Girl by Aimée M. Bissonette, illustrated by Claudia McGehee, is a story about a young girl, her relationship with her unconventional grandmother, and their adventures trekking through the north woods together. This book, with its simple but engaging text and stunning illustrations, is as lovely as it is charming. I personally related to this book because the grandmother in the story is so much like my own grandmother, who enjoyed treks through the woods around her home in Minnesota. But even readers without unconventional, woods-trekking grandmothers will appreciate this heartwarming story, and may be inspired to explore the natural world with someone they love.

Read: North Woods Girl 

Discuss: 

  • How is the grandmother in the story different from many other grandmothers?
  • Do you live in or near the woods? If not, what kind of natural areas are near your home?
  • How many woodland critters do you recognize from the book's illustrations?
  • In the story, the grandmother loves winter. Do you enjoy winter? What is your favorite season?

Do: Take a walk through a nearby forest, park, or other nature area. While you're there, collect items to use in a nature collage. Some items you might find are:

  • small sticks and twigs
  • leaves of various shapes (avoid poison ivy and stinging nettles)
  • pebbles
  • flowers
  • snail shells 
  • bits of bark
  • acorns or other nuts
Once you've gathered your items, arrange them in a collage! A collage can be any kind of design you want, such as a repeating pattern, an animal, a plant, even a building. Arrange your collage where it will be visible to others and maybe bring a smile to their face. A sidewalk is a good spot. Even better is a grassy area near a sidewalk where your collage won't be disturbed as much by footsteps or a breeze. Be sure to take a picture of your creation when you're finished!

Collage I made from plants in my yard and garden.

Don't be sad when nature takes over and your collage gets "ruined." That's just another reason to go exploring again.

Comments

Mindy Baker said…
Fun outdoor activity! I’m going to look for this book!
July 20, 2022 at 8:20 PM
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