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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Six Reasons Your Kids Should be Reading Poetry

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It's no secret that kids benefit from reading, and being read to, early and often. It helps them learn empathy, develop language skills, and become better learners. But when poetry is a part of their regular reading routine, the benefits can be multiplied.

The first and most obvious reason that kids should read poetry is because of the rhyme factor. Kids who are familiar with rhymes at an early age tend to be better readers. They become better spellers, learn to distinguish sounds, and develop auditory learning skills. Also, rhymes are fun and can help nurture a child's desire to read, aid in memorization skills, and develop new vocabulary.

But not all poems rhyme, and even if they did, there are other reasons for poetry to be a part of every kid's regular reading routine. Such as:
  1. Poems are often short, and short often means accessible, which is key for reluctant readers. You could text your teenage son a short poem and he will be almost guaranteed to read it. 
  2. Poetry is full of figurative language, which forces the reader to use his or her imagination and understand on a deeper level what the writer is trying to say.
  3. A poem doesn't always have a clear meaning. Reading poetry and analyzing it for meaning helps to develop critical thinking skills.
  4. Poetry helps develop vocabulary by introducing the reader to new words and phrases.
  5. A well-written poem invites the reader to participate in an emotion or experience--it makes the reader feel something. This can help develop empathy and give kids (and adults) an insight into other people's emotions and experiences.
  6. Poetry encourages creativity. It is often a child's first introduction into the world of art, and may inspire them to explore other areas of creative expression. 
Is poetry a part of your family's reading routine? If not, now is a great time to start! You can join us in the Poetry Challenge that we are hosing all month long. Otherwise (or in addition), why not check out a few poetry books from the library this month and share them with your kids? Here are a few of my family's favorites:

WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS by Shell Silverstein
IT'S RAINING PIGS AND NOODLES by Jack Prelutsky
A CRACK IN THE CLOUDS AND OTHER POEMS by Constance Levy
SONG OF THE WATER BOATMAN by Joyce Sidman
SPINSTER GOOSE by Lisa Wheeler
WET CEMENT: A BOOK OF CONCRETE POEMS by Bob Raczka
I'M JUST NO GOOD AT RHYMING by Chris Harris

And especially for the older readers:

PICNIC, LIGHTNING by Billy Collins
VERSED IN COUNTRY THINGS by Robert Frost
DAN MCGREW, SAM MCGEE: THE POEMS OF ROBERT SERVICE by Robert W. Service

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An earlier version of this post originally appeared on rebeccajgomez.com.

Comments

Marci said…
I love the book list here!
April 6, 2023 at 4:38 PM
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