Applesauce Weather by Helen Frost

Illustrated by Amy June Bates

A family story set in autumn...Uncle Arthur always comes to visit when the first apple falls, but will he still come now that Aunt Lucy is gone? Faith is sure he will. Peter doubts.

Thoughts: A sweet story told in verse with four voices: Faith, Peter, Uncle Arthur, and Aunt Lucy. As most verse novels do, it reads quickly. All characters are perfectly developed. I had an uncle quite like Arthur and his characterization is spot on. Applesauce Weather would be a great fall read aloud for classrooms or families.

(Candlewick, 2016)

May B by Caroline Starr Rose

Her family needs the money so May is sent to help out on a neighbor's farm. The man is well meaning enough, but wife is not at all suited to frontier life. One day, she runs away and her husband goes after her. They don't return and May is left alone, away from home, and it's months before her father will come to fetch her. Can a young girl survive on her own as winter comes to the prairie?

What I thought: I read May B in one sitting. It was riveting. I felt like I was there with her. I could feel her desperation, cold, and hunger. This is an awesome book. Like most verse novels, it was a quick read. It's one of my favorites--right up there with Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. May's struggle with reading is heart wrenching. I like that the author considered what life would be like for a child who suffered from dyslexia. Give this book to fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series and Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson.

(Schwartz & Wade, 2012)

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Another year. Jack is back and so is his poetry loving teacher. This year, Jack is still grieving for his dog and hates the stray cat in his neighborhood.

What I thought: A very quick read! I love Jack. His voice is so fresh and boyish. I can't believe I waited so long to read this sequel to Love That Dog. I wish I'd had a teacher like Jack has. I applaud her for introducing her students to such classic poems. I didn't study William Carlos Williams until college. My favorite part is the poets' day. It gives me an idea for a bulletin board to use for National Poetry Month.

(Scholastic, 2008)

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Summary from Dust Jacket:
No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.

For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by...and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.

But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape...and the strength of her very own family.

This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

What I thought: I liked this book for several reasons. First, it's based on fact. Second, it's a verse novel and in the format I prefer--titled poems and these are further subdivided by place. Thirdly, it's about a time and a people I know little about. In all my history classes, we never made it to the Vietnam War. Sad, I know, but true. Hà's story was deeply moving and will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced prejudice. I love Hà's spunk. After reading Inside Out & Back Again, I see why it won the National Book Award.

(Harper, 2011. National Book Award Winner)

The Dancing Pancake by Eileen Spinelli

Bindi's life is changing and not for the better if you ask her. Her dad has left. She thought to look for work, but no. Bindi's mom finally admits they have separated. Aunt Darnell loses her job and wants to open her own restaurant. The Dancing Pancake becomes a reality, but Bindi isn't sure if she likes this new direction her life is taking.

What I thought: I loved it! The Dancing Pancake touched on some many pertinent issues for today's kids without being depressing or sad. This is the type of verse novel I really like--titled poems function like small chapters. Bindi and crew (family, friends, etc.) were wonderful characters. I really liked Joanne's illustrations. They added quite a bit of humor to the story. They remind me of Louis Darling and Alan Tiegreen's illustrations of Beverly Cleary's Ramona books. My favorite poems are "Reading Chair," "House Mouse," "Miss Mole," "Another Hope Gone," and "Being a Pancake." Bindi's love of literature was great. It would be interesting to read all the books she mentions.

(Illus. Joanne Lew-Vriethuff. Knopf, 2010)

Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards

The summer of 1888 sees the beginning of a romance between Celestia, a rich man's daughter, and Peter, an employee at the hotel. Their separation doesn't end their romance. In the summer of 1889, Celestia and Peter find each other again. But on May 31st, their lives are forever changed when the rains don't stop and the rivers keep rising. When the South Fork Reservoir breaks, can they survive the flood?

What I thought: I can't resist a verse novel and Three Rivers Rising was quite good. My favorite parts were those concerning Celestia and Peter, but Maura and her husband's story was moving as well. I'd never heard of the Jonhstown Flood, but would like to know more. My favorite verses are those about the memory quilt Maura makes. The book read very quickly. I think that's one of the main appeals of verse novels.

I read Three Rivers Rising for the Young Adult Historical Fiction Challenge.

(Knopf, 2010)

Borrowed Names by Jeannine Atkins

What do Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C. J. Walker, and Marie Curie have in common? They were all born in 1867 and they all had daughters. In this verse novel, Atkins explores these famous women and their relationships with their respective daughters.

What I thought: I've long been a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, so I was very excited to hear about this book. I was familiar with Marie Curie, but had never heard of Madam C. J. Walker. The research that went into this book was phenomenal. Through narrative poetry, I learned more about Wilder and her daughter Rose than I ever could have imagined. I was so intrigued by the idea that Rose not only proofread but revised the Little House books that I have since read The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane by William Holtz. It goes without saying that my favorite poems from the Laura and Rose sequence are "Shears" and "Truth." The poems about the other mothers and daughters also left me wanting to know more. I truly enjoyed this book. I can't wait to see what Atkins treats us to next. This would be a great book to give to mothers and/or daughters. I also think mother-daughter book clubs would enjoy Borrowed Names.

(New York: Henry Holt, March 2010. ARC provided by publisher.)

Loose Threads by Loria Ann Grover

Grover, Lorie Ann. Loose Threads. New York: McElderry, 2002.

Kay is a normal seventh grader until her grandma finds a lump on her breast. Her life, her mother's, her grandmas, and her great-grandma's all change with these simple words "I found a lump / in my breast" (1). Poems chronicle Kay's struggle to deal with the changes in her life. To understand cancer. To understand herself. To understand her friends. To accept the frailty of life.

What I thought: This book was incredibly moving because it deals with a subject every woman fears: breast cancer. The poignancy of the story increased when I realized the author was writing from her personal experience. Her own grandmother had breast cancer. I've never had anyone close to me die a lingering death, but I can understand it through this book. As Kay cried, I cried. My favorite poem in the book is "Friends." It describes perfectly what this book gives readers.

I read
in the empty time.
I read at doctors' offices.
I read after nightmares.
I read when I hide out in the bathroom
and rest my head against the toilet paper roll.
I turn page after page,
in book after book.
Other kids
suffer in novels.
I'm not the only one.
My stuff
could be worse.
I hold the open book to my face
and breathe deep.
The ink paper smell
fills me up.
Each author
is a friend saying,
"There's hope.
Look." (110-11)

Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland

Wayland, April Halprin. Girl Coming in for a Landing: A Novel in Poems. Illus. Elaine Clayton. New York: Knopf, 2002.

The nameless narrator takes us through a year in her life: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. She reveals all--classes and crushes. Midnight thoughts and family.

What I thought: What a brilliant book! It reads very fast. I found myself drawn to the narrator. She, a poet, reminds me of myself as a teen. All the poems are great, but I especially like the meta-poetry. My favorite poems are "Writing Poetry," "Poetry Is My Underwear," Writer: Creator," "Waiting for Waffles," "I Have to Write," "Published!" and "Reviews." Another favorite is "Pooh" though it's not meta-poetry. I also like the author's afterward where she shares her thoughts on writing poetry. She gives 8 commonsensical tips for writing and getting published.

What Makes a Poem a Poem?: Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

Creech, Sharon. Love that Dog. New York: Scholastic, 2001.

Jack struggles to write poetry. Even when he writes a poem, he's not sure that it is a poem. He also worries if his poems are any good. He doesn't want his teacher to put his name on his work when she posts it on the bulletin board. Here's an excerpt from Love That Dog:

Maybe the wheelbarrow poet
was just
making a picture
with words
and
someone else--
like maybe his teacher--
typed it up
and then people thought
it was a poem
because it looked like one
typed up like that.

And maybe
that's the same thing
that happened with
Mr. Robert Frost.
Maybe he was just
making pictures with words
about the snowy woods
and the pasture--
and his teacher
typed them up
and they looked like poems
so people thought
they were poems (22-23).

Jack makes a valid point. How can anyone really know what makes a poem a poem? Who decides? I think Jack eventually comes to the conclusion that the writer decides.

What I thought: This was a fantastic book! It was a very fast read. I read it in 30 minutes. I really loved hearing Jack's voice come out through his poems. The premise (writing poetry in a classroom setting) reminded me a lot of Jacqueline Woodson's Locomotion. Creech's book would be great to use to introduce kids to poetry. As a poet, I find myself struggling with the same issues that Jack does. I sometimes look at my poems and ask, "What makes this a poem?" I suppose I do as I'm the one who wrote it and dared to call it poetry.

Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath by Stephanie Hemphill

Hemphill, Stephanie. Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. New York: Knopf, 2007.

Sylvia Plath was a poet from age eight. She knew she was destined to be great. Stephanie Hemphill uses poetry to explore Plath’s life from birth to death. Here’s how Hemphill sees Plath:

Your Own, Sylvia

She could not help burning herself
From the inside out,
Consuming herself

Like the sun.
But the memory of her light blazes
Our dark ceiling.

She could not know how long
Her luminary would map the sky,
Or where her dying would lead the lost.

But for those who gaze heavenly
Or into the reflected pool of night,
She is fuel. She is dust. She is a guiding star. (246)

To find out more about Hemphill and her Sylvia Plath, you’ll have to read Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath.

Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

Woodson, Jacqueline. Locomotion. New York: Scholastic, 2003.

Lonnie Collins Motion (a.k.a. Locomotion) has issues. His parents died when he was seven. He and his sister bounced around among relatives and church people until no one else wanted them. Then, the foster care system placed them with separate families. Lonnie’s teacher, Ms. Marcus, shows him a way to deal with his feelings—through poetry. Just who is Lonnie? Let him tell you.

List Poem

Blue kicks—Pumas
Blue-and-white Mets shirt
Mets hat
A watch my daddy gave me
Black pants but not dressy—they got side pockets
Ten cornrows with zigzag parts like Sprewell’s
A gold chain with a cross on it from Mama—under my shirt
White socks clean
One white undershirt clean
Whit underwear clean
A dollar seventy-five left pocket
Two black pens
A little notebook right pocket
All my teeth inside my mouth
One little bit crooked front one
Brown eyes
A little mole by my lip
Lotion on so I don’t look ashy
Three keys to Miss Edna’s house back pocket
Some words I wanted to remember
written on my right hand
Leftie
Lonnie (page 33)

To find out more about Lonnie you’ll have to read Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson.