Recommended Reads J FICtion: Novels in Verse
J BAPT, K
EB & FLOW
Kelly J. Baptist
J FLAK, S
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON
Sharon Flake
Ebony and De'Kari (aka Flow) do not get along. How could they when their cafeteria scuffle ended with De'Kari's ruined shoes, Ebony on the ground, and both of them with ten days of at-home suspension? Now Eb and Flow have two weeks to think about and explain their behavior--to their families, to each other, and ultimately to themselves.
STARFISH
Lisa Fipps
Bullied and shamed her whole life for being fat, twelve-year-old Ellie finally gains the confidence to stand up for herself, with the help of some wonderful new allies.
Paralyzed by guilt, eleven-year-old John Henry must come to terms with the events surrounding his Ma's near drowning and with the help of his twin sister Hattie, learn to embrace life again.
J FARU, R
CALL ME ADNAN
Reem Faruqi
Twelve-year-old Adnan dreams of making it to the Ultimate Table Tennis championship, but when tragedy strikes his family, Adnan loses his passion for table tennis and must learn to channel his grief and heal.
FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD
Alma Fullerton
The gym is where Claire shines and she's on her way to qualifying for the state championships. But at school, she's known as a troublemaker--which is fine with her since it helps her hide her reading problem. Claire has never been able to make sense of the wobbling jumble of letters on a page.
GOOD DIFFERENT
J GOW, R
DEAR MOTHMAN
Robin Gow
After the death of his best friend and the only other trans boy at school, Noah starts writing letters expressing his feelings to the humanoid creature Mothman and risks everything when he treks into the woods to prove Mothman's existence.
IN THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY
Seventh-grader Selah Godfrey knows that to be "normal" she has to keep her feelings tightly controlled when people are around, but after hitting a fellow student, she needs to figure out just what makes her different-and why that is ok.
In 1980, ten-year-old Anna and her parents finalize their immigration from Taiwan to California, and as she settles in to her new home, Anna is confronted by the stark difference between her dreams and her reality.
J LAI, TWHEN THE CLOUDS TOUCH US
Thanhha Lai
Ha and her family have worked hard to make a life for themselves in the US, but it hasn't come easy. Ha has only just started to feel settled when Mother decides that the family will move to Texas for a new job.
THE ORDER OF THINGS
Kaija Langley
A heart-rending novel-in-verse about a girl beginning to learn it is possible to go on even after a great loss.
J TAFO, C
WARRIOR GIRL
Carmen Tafolla
An insightful novel in verse about the joys and struggles of a Chicana girl who is a warrior for her name, her history, and her right to choose what she celebrates in life.
I AM KAVI J PONW, T
Thushanthi Ponweera
Against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan Civil War, one Sinhalese girl must adapt to a new school, a new city, and new friends, while always staying true to herself
J LARO, R
MIRROR TO MIRROR
Rajani LaRocca
An evocative novel in verse about identical twin sisters who do everything together-until external pressures threaten to break them apart.
J MEND, J
ANIANA DEL MAR JUMPS IN
Jasminne Mendez
Aniana and Papi keep her swim practices and meets hidden from Mami, who has never recovered from losing someone she loves to the water years ago. That is, until the day Ani's stiffness and swollen joints mean she can no longer get out of bed, and Ani is forced to reveal just how important swimming is to her.
MASCOT J WATE, C
Charles Waters & Traci Sorell
In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye's mascot should stay or change.