60+ Novels In Verse for Grades 3 - 8

Intermediate Level: Grade 3 - 5

1. Bauer, Marion Dane. (2013). Little Dog, Lost. Illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
2. Creech, Sharon. (2010). Hate that Cat. New York: HarperCollins.
3. Creech, Sharon. (2001). Love that Dog. New York: HarperCollins.
4. Elliot, Zetta. (2008). Bird. Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. New York: Lee & Low Books.
5. Engle, Margarita. (2014). Mountain Dog. Illustrated by Aleksey & Olga Ivanov. New York: Square Fish.
6. Grimes, Nikki. (2013). Words with Wings. Honesdale, PA: WordSong.
7. Havill, Juanita. (2011). Grow: A Novel in Verse. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.
8. Kurtz, Jane. (2007). River Friendly, River Wild. Illustrated by Neil Brennan. New York: Aladdin.
9. Mutén, Burleigh. (2014). Miss Emily. Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
10. Sonnichsen, A.L. ((2015). Red Butterfly. Illustrated by Amy June Bates. New York: Simon & Schuster.
11. Spinelli, Eileen. (2014). Another Day as Emily. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
12. Spinelli, Eileen. (2011). The Dancing Pancake. New York: Yearling.
13. Sternberg, Julie. (2011). Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie. Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. New York: Harry N. Abrams. (Part of a series... for younger audiences as well).
14. Weston, Robert Paul. (2014). Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff. New York: Razorbill.
15. Weston, Robert Paul. (2010). Zorgamazoo. New York: Razorbill.
16. Williams, Vera B. (2004). Amber Was Brave, Essie Was Smart. New York: Greenwillow.
17. Wissinger, Tamera Will. (2013). Gone Fishing. Illustrated by Matthew Cordell. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers.

Middle School: Grade 5-8

1. Alexander, Kwame. (2014). The Crossover. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers.
2. Applegate, Katherine. (2008).  Home of the Brave. New York: Square Fish
3. Brown, Susan Taylor. (2006). Hugging the Rock. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.
4. Bryant, Jen. (2010). Kaleidoscope Eyes. New York: Yearling.
5. Bryant, Jen. (2009). Ringside, 1925. New York: Yearling.
6. Bryant, Jen. (2009). Pieces of Georgia. New York: Yearling.
7. Bryant, Jen. (2005). The Trial. New York: Yearling.
8. Burg, Ann E. (2013). Serafina's Promise. New York: Scholastic.
9. Calhoun, Dia. (2012). After the River the Sun. Illustrated by Kate Slater. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
10. Calhoun, Dia. (2012). Eva of the Farm. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 
11. Cheng, Andrea. (2013). Etched in Clay, The Life of Dave, Enslaved Potter and Poet. New York: Lee and Low Books.
12. Cheng, Andrea. (2009). Brushing Mom's Hair. Illustrated by Nicole Wong. Atlanta, GA: Front Street.
13. Crossan, Sarah. (2013). The Weight of Water.  London, UK: Bloomsbury.
14. Crowder, Melanie. (2015). Audacity. New York: Philomel.
15. Engle, Margarita. (2014). The Wild Book. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers.
16. Frost, Helen. (2015). Hidden. New York: Square Fish.
17. Frost, Helen. (2014). Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
18. Frost, Helen.  (2004). Spinning Through the Universe: A Novel in Poems from Room 214. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
19. Fullerton, Alma. (2008). Libertad. Markham ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside.
20. Glenn, Mel. (1999). Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?: A Mystery in Poems.  New York: Puffin.
21. Glenn, Mel. (1997). Jump Ball: A Basketball Season in Poems.  New York: Dutton Books for Young Readers.
22. Grimes, Nikki. (2011). Planet Middle School. New York: Bloomsbury.
23. Grimes, Nikki. (2008). The Road to Paris. New York: Puffin.
24. Grimes, Nikki. (2003). Bronx Masquerade. New York: Speak.
25. Hesse, Karen. (2003). Witness. New York: Scholastic.
26. Hesse, Karen (1998). Out of the Dust. New York: Scholastic.
27. Howe, James. (2012). Addie on the Inside. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
28. Lai, Thanhha. (2011). Inside Out and Back Again.  New York: HarperCollins.
29. LeZotte, Ann Clare. (2008). T4: A Novel. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
30. McKissack, Patricia. (2011). Never Forgotten. Illustrated by Leo Dillon an Diane Dillon. New York: Schwartz & Wade. 
31. Nagai, Mariko. (2014). Dust of Eden. Chicago, IL: Albert Whitman & Company
32. Neri, G. (2007). Chess Rumble. New York: Lee & Low Books.
33. Pinkney, Andrea Davis. (2014). The Red Pencil.  Illustrated by Shane Evans. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 
34. Rose, Caroline Starr. (2014). May B. New York: Yearling.
35. Rosen, Michael. (2012). Running with Trains: A Novel in Poetry and Two Voices. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong.
36. Rosenthal, Betsy W. (2013). Looking for Me...in this Great Big Family. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers.
37. Smith, Hope Anita. (2011).  The Way a Door Closes. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. New York: Henry Holt.
38. Smith, Hope Anita. (2008).  Keeping the Night Watch.  Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. New York: Henry Holt.
39. Testa, Maria. (2007). Almost Forever. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
40. Timberlake, Amy. (2013). One Came Home. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.
41. Woodson, Jacqueline. (2014). Brown Girl Dreaming. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books.
42. Woodson, Jacqueline. (2010).  Peace, Locomotion. New York: Speak.
43. Woodson, Jacqueline. (2010). Locomotion. New York: Speak.
44. Yeung, Russell Ching. (2009). Tofu Quilt. New York: Lee & Low Books. 

Bibliography of Poetry Books Used in Collage Work with 3rd Graders

This is  a list of poetry books that I used with teachers and their third graders in the development of writing fluency through collage.

Adedjouma, Davida (Ed.) & Gregory Christie (Illus). (1996). The palm of my heart: Poetry by African American children. New York: Lee & Low.

Adoff, Arnold & Lisa Desimini (Illus.). (2000). Touch the poem. New York: Blue Sky Press.

Alarcón, Francisco X. & Maya Christina Gonzalez (Illus.). (2005). Laughing tomatoes: And other spring poems/Jitomates risuenos: y otros poemas de primavera. San Francisco: Children's Book Press.

Argueta, Jorge & Lucia Angela Perez. (Illus.). (2006). Talking with mother earth/Hablando con madre tierra: Poems/poemas. Toronto: Groundwood Books. 

Argueta, Jorge & Elizabeth Gómez (Illus.). (2001).  A movie in my pillow/Una película en mi almohada.  San Francisco: Children’s Book Press.

Berry, James (Selected) & Katherine Lucas (Illus.). (2004). Around the world in 80 poems. New York: Macmillan Children's Books.

Blaikie, Lynn. (2006). Beyond the northern lights. Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside. 

Brenner, Barbara (Ed.) & S.D. Schindler (Illus.). (1994). The earth is painted green: A garden of poems about our planet. New York: Scholastic.

Bouchard, David & Allen Sapp (Illus.). (2006). Nokum is my teacher. Calgary, AB: Red Deer Press.

Bruchac, Joseph (Abenaki) & Thomas Locker (Illus.). (1998). The earth under Sky Bear’s feet.  New York: Putnam Juvenile.

Campbell, Nicola I. & Kim LaFave (Illus.). (2005). Shi-shi-etko. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Carlson, Lori Marie & Emily Lisker (Illus.). (1998). Sol a sol: Original and selected bilingual poems. New York: Henry Holt.

Dawes, Kwame & Tom Feelings (Illus.). (2004). I saw your face. New York: Dial.

Dunbar, Paul Laurence & Ashley Bryan, Carole Byard, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Brian Pinkney, Jerry Pinkney and Faith Ringgold (Illus.). (1999). Jump back honey:  The poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar.  New York: Hyperion.

Elliott, Zetta & Shadra Strickland (Illus.). (2008). Bird. New York: Lee & Low.

Florian, Doug. (2007). Comet, stars, the moon, and mars: Space poems and paintings. San Diego: Harcourt.

Frame, Jeron Ashford & R. Gregory Christie (Illus.).  (2003).  Yesterday I Had the Blues.  Berkeley: Tricycle.

George, Kristine O'Connell & Barry Moser (Illus.). (2004). Hummingbird nest: A journal of poems. San Diego: Harcourt.

Giovanni, Nikki (Ed.). (2008). Hip hop speaks to children: A celebration of poetry with a beat. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Gollub, Matthew & Kazuko G. Stone (Illus.). (2004). Cool melons turn to frogs!: The life and poems of Issa. New York: Lee & Low.

Graves, Edwin Wilson (Ed.) & Jerome Lagarrigue (Illus.) (2007). Poetry for young people: Maya Angelou. New York: Sterling.

Greenberg, Jan (Ed). (2008). Side by side: New poems inspired by art from around the world. New York: Abrams.

Greenfield, Eloise, & Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illus.). (2007). When the horses ride by: Children in the times of war. New York: Lee & Low Books.

Grimes, Nikki & Cozbi A. Cabrera (Illus.). (2006). Thanks a million. New York: Amistad.

Gunning, Monica & Ken Condon (Illus.). (2004). America, my new home. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Havill, Juanita & Christine Davenier (Illus.). (2006). I heard it from Alice Zucchini: Poems about the garden. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

High, Linda Oatman & Bill Farnsworth (Illus.). (2001). A humble life: Plain poems. New York: Candlewick.

Hines, Anna Grossnickle. (2003). Pieces: A year in poems & quilts. New York: HarperTrophy.

Ho, Minfong & Jean Tseng & Mou-sien Tseng (Illus.). (1996). Maples in the mist: Children’s poems from the Tang Dynasty. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett (Ed.) & Stephen Alcorn (Illus.). (2002). Home to me: Poems across America. New York: Orchard.

Janeczko, Paul B. (Sel.) & Robert Rayevsky  (Illus.). (2007). Hey, you!: Poems to skyscrapers, mosquitoes, and Other Fun Things. New York: HarperCollins.

Jones, Lessie Little & Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illus.). (2000). Children of long ago. New York: Lee & Low.

Lee, Claudia  M. & Rafael Yockteng (Illus.). (2002). Messengers of rain: And other poems from Latin America. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Letria, Jose Jorge & Andre Letria (Illus.).  (2006). The moon has written you a poem. Translated by Maurice Riordan. Kent, England: WingedChariot Press.

Maher, Ramona & Shonto Begay (Diné). (Illus.). (2003).  Alice Yazzie’s year. Berkeley: Tricycle Press. 

Mak, Kim. (2001). My Chinatown: One year in poems. New York: HarperCollins.

Medina, Jane & Fabricio Vanden Broeck (Illus.). (2004). My name is Jorge: On both sides of the river.  Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Medina, Tony & Jesse Joshua Watson (Illus.). (2009). I and I Bob Marley. New York: Lee & Low.

Miller, Kate. (2007). Poems in black & white. Asheville, NC: Front Street.

Mora, Pat & Paula S. Barragan (Illus.). (2004). Love to Mama: A tribute to mothers. New York: Lee & Low.

Mora, Pat & Francisco X, Mora (illus.). (2001). Listen to the desert/Oye al desierto. New York: Clarion.

Muse, Daphne (Ed.) & Charlotte Riley Webb (Illus.). (2005). Entrance place of wonders: Poems of the Harlem Renaissance. New York: Abrams.

Myers, Walter Dean & Nina Laden (Illus.). (2000). The blues of Flats Brown. New York: Holiday House.

Neil, Philip (Ed.) & Maryclare Foa (Illus.). (1995). Songs are thoughts: Poems of the Inuit. New York: Orchard.

Nye, Naomi Shihab (Ed.) & Dan Yaccarion (Illus.). (2000).  Come with Me: Poems for a Journey.  New York: Greenwillow.

Olaleye, Isaac & Frane Lessac (Illus.). (2001). The distant talking drum: Poems from Nigeria. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Pappas, T. (1991). Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices. San Carlos, CA: Wide World/Tetra.

Park, Linda Sue & Istvan Banyai (Illus.). (2007). Tap dancing on the roof: Sijo. New York: Clarion.

Richards, Beah E. & R. Gregory Christie (Illus.). (2006). Keep climbing, girls. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Schertle, Alice & Kenneth Addison (Illus.). 2007. We. New York: Lee and Low.

Shange, Ntozake & Kadir Nelson (Illus.). (2004). Ellington was not a street. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Sidman, Joyce & Beth Krommes (Illus.). (2006). Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Siebert, Diane & Stephen T. Johnson (Illus.). (2006). Tour America: Through poems and art. Gosau, Switzerland: Seastar.

Soto, Gary & David Diaz (Illus.). (2005). Neighborhood odes. San Diego: Harcourt.

Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk (Rosebud Sioux) & Stephen Gammell (Illus.). (1991). Dancing teepees: Poems of American Indian youth. New York: Holiday House.

Swamp, Jake (Mohawk) & Erwin Printup, Jr. (Illus). (1995). Giving thanks: A Native American good morning message. New York: Lee & Low.

Tadjo, Veronica (Ed.). (2004). Talking drums: A collection of poems from Africa south of the Sahara. New York: Bloomsbury.

Thomas, Joyce Carol & Floyd Cooper (Illus.). (2008). The blacker the berry. New York: Amistad.

Troupe, Quincy & Lisa Cohen (Illus.). (2005). Little Stevie Wonder. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Vecchione, Patrice (Ed.). (2002). Whisper and shout: Poems to memorize. Chicago, IL: Cricket Books/Marcato.

Walker, Alice & Stefano Vitale (Illus.). (2007). Why war is never a good idea. New York: HarperCollins.

Weatherford, Carole Boston & Sean Quails (Illus.). (2008). Before John was a jazz giant: A song of John Coltrane. New York: Henry Holt.

Weatherford, Carole Boston & Dimitrea Tokumbo (Illus.). (2001). Sidewalk chalk: Poems of the city. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Williams, Vera B. 2004. Amber was brave, Essie was smart. New York: HarperTrophy.

Whitman, Walt & Loren Long (Illus.). (2004). When I heard the learn’d astronomer. New York: Simon & Schuster.

from Twist: Yoga Poems

Wong, Janet, S & Julie Paschkis (Illus.). (2007). Twist: Yoga poems. New York: Margaret K. McElderry.

Wong, Janet, S & Julie Paschkis (Illus.). (2007). Good luck gold and other poems. New York: Aladdin.

Wong, Janet, S & Julie Paschkis (Illus.). (2000). Night garden: Poems from the world of dreams. New York: Margaret E. McElderry Books.

Worth, Valerie & Steve Jenkins (Illus.). (2007). Animal poems. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Yerxa, Leo. (2006). Ancient thunder. Toronto, Ontario: Groundwood Books.