Poetry and Novels in Verse for Middle School Students
Step into a world where words waltz and rhymes rap with this collection of vocabulary lists for poetry and novels in verse for Grades 6–8. Tailored for middle school students, these lists offer a front-row ticket to a linguistic carnival, where metaphors juggle and similes spin.
The Poet XXiomara hides her poetry from her religious family, but when she joins a slam poetry club, she must decide whether or not she's ready for her voice to be heard. Learn these words from the acclaimed novel-in-verse by slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.
Home Is Not a CountryIn this novel in verse, a teen struggles with feelings of disconnection from both her family's homeland and her suburban American life.
Long Way DownIn this novel-in-verse, Will spends a sixty-second elevator ride weighing whether or not he should avenge his brother's death. Learn these words from Jason Reynolds's innovative and powerful exploration of gun violence.
Out of the DustWritten in free verse, this Newbery Medal-winning novel details the struggles of an Oklahoman teenager during the dust-filled years of the Great Depression.
LocomotionIn this verse novel, eleven-year-old Lonnie reflects on his life in foster care.
Brown Girl DreamingIn a series of autobiographical poems, Jacqueline Woodson vividly brings her childhood and adolescence to life. This memoir in verse won the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and the Newbery Honor Award.
Rez DogsIn this novel in verse, a girl befriends a stray dog while quarantining with her grandparents on a Wabanaki reservation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bronx MasqueradeEach week, students in a high school English class step up to the mic to share original poems.
The CrossoverTwin brothers Josh and Jordan Bell clash both on and off the basketball court. How high can you score on this list of words from Alexander's award-winning novel in verse?
ReboundAfter the death of his father, Chuck Bell spends the summer with grandparents and finds solace in basketball. Learn these words from the prequel to The Crossover.
Call Me MaríaIn this novel, narrated in a mix of prose and verse, a Puerto Rican girl adjusts to life in New York City.
Other Words for HomeAfter she is sent to Cincinnati to escape unrest in Syria, twelve-year-old Jude struggles to adjust to life in the United States.
Land of the CranesImprisoned in a detention camp, Betita dreams of reuniting her family.
Inside Out & Back AgainFleeing to America to escape the Vietnam War, Hà and her family end up in Alabama, where they must adapt to a new culture. This novel in verse was inspired by author Thanhha Lai's own experiences.
The Red PencilIn this powerful novel-in-verse, a twelve-year-old Sudanese girl must make her way to a refugee camp after her village is attacked.
Garvey's ChoiceGarvey loves reading and astronomy, but his father pressures him to be an athlete. Then Garvey is chosen as a soloist in the school choir — and music might provide a way for him and his father to connect.
They Call Me GüeroA Border Kid's PoemsThis verse novel chronicles the daily life of a Mexican-American twelve-year-old.
Neighborhood OdesThis poetry collection celebrates the ordinary events and everyday objects that make a neighborhood special.
Red, White, and WholeIn this verse novel, 13-year-old Reha grapples with her identity as an Indian-American while trying to cope with her mother’s illness.
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