In honor of April being National Poetry Month, we are featuring some novels in verse for middle grade readers! Novels in verse are stories that are uniquely told through a series of poems instead of paragraphs. The titles featured below can be found on Hoopla or Libby either as an audiobook, eBook, or both. To find more titles, please search the Handley Regional Library catalog using the search term #youthverse--many of these titles can be found on Libby and/or Hoopla as well!
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga-- When violence erupts in her seaside home in Syria, young Jude and her mother flee and go to stay with family in America. Though she's seen American movies, Jude doesn't feel prepared for the loud, fast lifestyle that Americans lead, nor is she prepared for starting a new school with the label of Middle Easterner. But Jude soon meets new friends, enjoys her family, and just might try out for the school musical. This book can be found on both Hoopla as an eBook and on Libby as an audiobook and eBook.
House Arrest by K.A. Holt--Young Timothy is sentenced to house arrest after impulsively stealing a wallet, and he is forced to keep a journal into which he pours all his thoughts, fears, and frustrations. This book can be found on Hoopla as an audiobook and on Libby as an eBook.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander--Josh Bell and his twin brother Jordan are stars on their high school basketball team, taught by their father, a professional player in Europe before his health forced him to quit. Josh is better known by his nickname, Filthy McNasty, because he has mad ball skills and mad beats, too, making up rhymes even while he is dribbling past some unsuspecting guard. Josh has always assumed that he and Jordan would follow in their dad's footsteps and go pro, but with their father's deteriorating health, and the presence of a polarizing new girl at school, the future is anything but certain. This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and an eBook.
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson--Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. This book can be found on Libby as an audiobook and an eBook.
Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech--Jack is studying poetry again in school, and he continues to write poems reflecting his understanding of famous poems and how they relate to his life. This book is found on Hoopla as an audiobook and an eBook.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate--Ivan the gorilla lives in the Big Top Mall, locked inside what he describes as a “domain” of glass, metal and cement. Surrounded by humans, Ivan offers witty and oftentimes humorous observations on their behavior; while humans behave in a frantic manner, Ivan views himself as a peaceful artist. Day after day, Ivan describes his endurance of the humans' cruelty, but everything changes once he sees a baby elephant named Ruby being abused. Deciding he must free Ruby and escape his home – which he now realizes is simply a cage – Ivan puts a plan into action but must also confront memories of his life in the jungle and the slaying of his family. This book can be found on Hoopla as an audiobook and on Libby as an audiobook and eBook.
Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess by Shari Green--Deaf sixth-grader Macy is best friends with Olivia until an embarrassing comment about Macy's father causes a fight. Now, neither girl is talking to the other, and Macy really needs a friend now that her mother is getting remarried and they have to sell their house. Macy's mother sends her next door to help their elderly neighbor Iris Gillan pack for her own move to an assisted living home, and surprisingly a bond forms between the two and the unexpected friendship helps Macy deal with the changes in her life. This book can be found on both Hoopla and Libby as an audiobook.