Last weekend at NCTE I had a conversation with Laura Shovan and Chris Barton about novels-in-verse. We discussed briefly how novels-in-verse should be poetry rather than prose written to look like poetry.
On my long travel day to NCTE, I read Margarita Engle’s novel-in-verse Soaring Earth. Margarita is a poet. Her novel reads like poems with the backdrop of her life experiences from late teen years to adulthood. In each verse, she was processing who she was and who she wanted to be. She rejects then embraces the culture of her life. She has to leave herself to find herself, and it’s all written in beautiful language of poetry.
Currently I am reading White Rose by Kip Wilson. Once again, I put on the lens of a poet finding the elements of poetry as well as compelling story. Kip Wilson has successfully drawn me into the story of Sophie, a young adult resistor to Hitler’s Germany. The story takes me to the horrors of the early 40’s. I place myself into the shoes of a girl who knows it’s wrong to kill for any reason. She is keenly aware of what is happening in her country. She finds small joys, so we are not bombarded with terror. I am more than halfway through. I know what eventually happens, yet I keep reading. The lyrical rhythm of verse makes this incredible story a beautiful one.
February 20, 1943
A Golden BridgeI have nothing
more to say,
Herr Mohr has nothing
more to ask,
and yet the next
time he summons
me, he throws
me a lifeline.You can still save
yourself, Fraulein
Scholl.Boom-boom,
boom-boom.
A sliver of light enters
the room, and I’m certain
the entire world can hear
the pounding in my chest.Tell me you were only
following your older
brother,and I’ll recommend
setting you free.My heart, beating
Kip Wilson, White Rose
so confidently moments ago,
whimpers, withers, dies
but my voice gathers
courage:
Nein.
Reflections on the Teche 
Looks like a great book. I enjoyed Soaring Earth, too. My students like these novels in verse because they are short and therefore seem easy to them. But then the story draws them in and they keep reading for different reasons. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
I know the White Rose story but still haven’t read Kip Wilson’s version, & the poem you shared makes it even more heartbreaking, because of poetry. This latest by Margarita is also on my list, and I’ve enjoyed every other book of hers. I know many have read books about immigrants in the past year or so, hard to imagine that heartache that comes from leaving one’s country, which the poem shows so well. Thanks, Margaret, fun to hear of you and Laura talking about the verse novels.
I can’t wait to get my hands on Kip’s book! I agree with verse novels needing to be poetry.
These are both wonderful novels! I read White Rose last spring. Besides being very gripping, I remember how impressed I was that this was Kip’s debut verse novel. Quite a few really great verse novels have made their appearance this year!
I discovered that Soaring Earth is available from my library so I’m planning on picking it up tomorrow. I adore Margarita Engle’s poetry. White Rose is also available but I have to order it from a different library. I know about them from Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti. Have you seen it?
Three cheers for verse novels that are POETRY!
That poem from White Rose gets me right in the heart.
Yes to verse novels that go beyond short lines… and these two look wonderful. “half riddle, half puzzle” really captures that almost-adult age.
Just added both of these novels to my ‘Must Read’ list. Especially intrigued by White Rose and my proximity to that neck of the world. Thanks for the recommendations, Margaret. =)
Wow. That poem from White Rose is gripping. I want to read both of these books. Thanks for sharing them.