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Poetry and Novels in Verse Whether it's traditional poetry or a lyrical narrative, these books are perfect for those wanting a poetic read.
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We are all so good at smiling
by Amber McBride
Whimsy, who is clinically depressed, befriends a boy named Faerry, with whom she feels a magical connection, and together they brave the Forest, a place of monsters, fairy tales and pain that they have both been running from for 11 years.
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Wings in the wild
by Margarita Engle
When a hurricane exposes Soleida's family's secret sculpture garden, the Cuban government arrests her artist parents, forcing her to escape alone to Central America where she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy, and together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba
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Miles Morales : suspended
by Jason Reynolds
Earning a suspension for saving the world, Miles Morales finds a long boring day turning into one that has his spidey-senses tingling as he goes head-to-head with an unexpected enemy who has the power to destroy the world's history, especially Black and Brown history.
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Enter the body
by Joy McCullough
Giving voice to the young women who die in Shakespeare's most iconic plays, including Juliet, Ophelia and Cordelia, this brilliant novel leads to a larger story about how young women can support each other in the aftermath of trauma.
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Dear Medusa / : A Novel in Verse
by Olivia A. Cole
This intense and intimate novel-in-verse follows 16-year-old Alicia, who feels isolated and alone after being sexually abused by a teacher then cast as the slut who asked for it, until she receives mysterious letters hinting at another victim, forcing her to face her trauma and fight back.
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Inheritance : a visual poem
by Elizabeth Acevedo
Interweaving a powerful message of self-love, an award-winning author and poet celebrates the beauty and meaning of natural Black hair through her most famous spoken-word poem brought to a lushly illustrated picture book form.
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An appetite for miracles
by Laekan Zea Kemp
When Danna, struggling with family issues, and Raúl, playing guitar for the elderly to escape his past, meet, they embark on a mission to heal both her grandfather, whose memories are fading, and themselves.
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Baby teeth : a novel in verse
by Meg Grehan
It starts when Claudia offers her a yellow rose. Immy has been in love before--many times, across many lifetimes. But never as deeply, as intensely as this. Claudia smells like paint and peppermint tea. She wears her hair in a plait, and has a green thumb, and Immy is utterly besotted. Claudia has never been in love like this either. But then, this is her first time with a vampire. But a love like this can't last. The forbidden thirst for blood runs deep in Immy. And within her mind clamor the voices, of all the others she has been, their desires, and their wrongs.
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The name she gave me
by Betty Culley
In this deeply emotional story, 16-year-old Rynn secretly decides to search for her biological family, learning that she has a younger sister in foster care two towns away - a discovery that could tear her adoptive family apart.
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Call me Athena : girl from Detroit
by Colby Cedar Smith
Written from the perspective of three very different narrators, this enchanting novel in verse follows Mary, the American-born daughter of Greek and French immigrants living in Detroit in the 1930s, as she struggles for independence, equality and identity.
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Wave
by Diana Farid
When her best friend's cancer returns in the summer of 1987, none of her usual pursuits--surfing, singing, or reading poetry--can keep thirteen-year-old Ava afloat.
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The hill we climb : an inaugural poem for the country
by Amanda Gorman
On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope toviewers around the globe. Including an enduring foreword by Oprah Winfrey.
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Nothing burns as bright as you
by Ashley Woodfolk
Over the course of one wild and reckless day, two best friends become something more and the depth of their past, the confusion of the present and the unpredictability of their future is revealed.
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A million quiet revolutions
by Robin Gow
A modern love story told in verse, Oliver and Aaron, when Aaron moves away, write each other letters, inspired by two Revolutionary soldiers, who they believe to be trans men in love, and must each take ownership of their own stories.
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Abuela, don't forget me
by Rex Ogle
Rex Ogle's companion to Free Lunch and Punching Bag weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother's legacy. In his award-winning memoir Free Lunch, Rex Ogle's abuela features as a source of love and support. In this companion-in-verse, Rex captures and celebrates the powerful presence a woman he could always count on-to give him warm hugs and ear kisses, to teach him precious words in Spanish, to bring him to the library where he could take out as many books as he wanted, and to offer safety when darkness closed in. Throughout a coming of age marked by violence and dysfunction, Abuela's red-brick house in Abilene, Texas, offered Rex the possibility of home, and Abuela herself the possibility for a better life. Abuela, Don't Forget Me is a lyrical portrait of the transformative and towering woman who believed in Rex even when he didn't yet know how to believe in himself.
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Ain't burned all the bright
by Jason Reynolds
This smash-up of art and text visually captures what it is to be Black in America and what it means to REALLY breathe.
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Somebody give this heart a pen
by Sophia Thakur
A coming-of-age debut collection by the acclaimed spoken-word performance poet explores issues ranging from identity and perseverance to relationships and loss, in a volume that draws on the author’s experiences as a mixed-race woman in a lonely and complicated world.
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Booked
by
Kwame Alexander
A follow-up to the Newbery Medal-winning The Crossover finds 12-year-old soccer aficionado Nick discovering the power of words while wrestling with problems at home, standing up to a bully and trying to impress the girl of his dreams.
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