Happy Poetry month! In honor of our first-ever Novels in Verse award this year, I thought we’d highlight all the novels in verse that have been finalists over the past 10 years of the award. There are a lot of amazing books here; I hope you find a new one to read this month!
Wave
by Diana Farid, illustrated by Kris Goto
Cameron Kids
2022 Novels in Verse Winner
Everywhere Blue
by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz
Holiday House
2021 Poetry Winner
Red, White, and Whole
by Rajani LaRocca
Quill Tree Books
2021 Poetry Finalist
Me (Moth)
by Amber McBride
Feiwel & Friends
2021 Poetry Finalist
Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit
by Colby Cedar Smith
Andrews McMeel Publishing
2021 Poetry Finalist
Starfish
by Lisa Fipps
Nancy Paulsen Books
2021 Poetry Finalist
Ordinary Hazards: A Memoir
by Nikki Grimes
Wordsong
2019 Poetry Finalist
Other Words for Home
by Jasmine Warga
Balzer + Bray
Finalist, 2019 Poetry
SHOUT
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Viking Books for Young Readers
2019 Poetry Finalist
Long Way Down
by Jason Reynolds
Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
2018 Poetry Winner
The Poet X
by Elizabeth Acevedo
HarperTeen
2018 Poetry Finalist
Mary’s Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
by Lita Judge
Roaring Brook Press
2018 Poetry Finalist
Bull
by David Elliott
HMH Books for Young Readers
2017 Poetry Finalist
Booked
by Kwame Alexander
HMH Books for Young Readers
2016 Poetry Finalist
Garvey’s Choice
by Nikki Grimes
Wordsong
2016 Poetry Finalist
Full Cicada Moon
by Marilyn Hilton
Dial Books
2015 Poetry Finalist
House Arrest
by K.A. Holt
Chronicle Books
2015 Poetry Finalist
Paper Hearts
by Meg Wiviott
Margaret K. McElderry
2015 Poetry Finalist
Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson
Nancy Paulsen Books
2014 Poetry Finalist