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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Summer Challenge Week 8: Night Time!

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It's week eight of the Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge, and this week it's all about night! Summertime is a great time of year to spend a little time out at night. There is so much to see and hear that doesn't happen during the day. Stars shining, owls hooting, bugs buzzing around in the glow of street lamps. We hope that this week's challenge will encourage you to do some night time reading and have some night time fun, even if you stay inside to do it!

Ideas for books to read:

  • If You Were Night by Muon Thi Van, illustrated by Kelly Pousette. This beautiful book, illustrated with cut paper dioramas, is a lyrical exploration of the natural world at night. 
  • The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, illustrated by Beth Krommes. A quiet, lyrical book about sources of light inside and out.
  • While You Are Sleeping by Mariana Ruiz Johnson. This is a wordless book that takes the reader on a night time adventure while a child in the story dreams.

Ideas for things to discuss:

  • What are some things you can only see at night?
  • Are you afraid of night or of the dark? If so, why?
  • What is something you like to do at night?
  • How many nocturnal animals can you name?

Ideas for things to do: 

  • Go for a walk at night and look for things that are featured in the book you read.
  • Sit outside and star gaze. Try looking for constellations and planets. Use a telescope if you have one!
  • Visit your zoo's nocturnal exhibit if possible. Otherwise, watch a documentary about nocturnal animals.
  • Create some night-inspired art. Try a style based on one of the books, such as a cut paper diorama (If You Were Night) or scratchboard art (The House in the Night). 
  • Play a game of hide-and-seek in the dark.
Do you have a favorite book about night time? Let us know in the comments or on social media with the hashtag #RDDSummerChallenge.



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