To celebrate National Poetry Month, here are eleven terrific titles in verse.

In Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne, Skyy feels terribly alone after her best friend's boyfriend calls her a name she can't forgive or forget.  Her sudden freedom allows her to see herself in a new light and consider all the ways she is worthy of love.

Alma Presses Play by Tina Cane follows Alma as she grows through the pain of losing a grandmother to death and her parents to divorce.

In Muted by Tami Charles, Denver and her friends seize an opportunity to perform their singing act to a famous visiting producer.  When he helps them break into the business, though, Denver sees a much more dangerous world than she imagined.

Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo tells the dreamlike story of Nima, who misses her late father dearly, struggles to help her fearful mother navigate American society, and believes her own life would be better if she became the daughter her parents truly wanted, a girl named Yasmeen.

The Seventh Raven by David Elliott follows Robyn and his six brothers, all cursed to be ravens, and their young sister April, who seeks to restore their humanity, though she has never met them.

In Lawless Spaces by Corey Ann Haydu, Mimi tries to understand her mother's sudden disappearance after a very public sexual assault case.  The answer to her problems may lie in the diaries of all of her female ancestors.

If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur tells how Sahaara grows into a young woman confident and bold enough to challenge the man who raped her mother.

African Town by Irene Latham follows fourteen voices of enslaved people upon one of the last ships of the slave trade, and what freedom they find once they land in America.

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride follows Moth, who has lived in the shadow of her alcohol-reliant aunt ever since her parents were killed in a car crash.  When a new student with his own trauma arrives at school, Moth and Sani go on a road trip to the Navajo Nation to find healing.

In Call Me Athena, Girl From Detroit by Colby Cedar Smith, Mary questions why her parents immigrated from Greece and France, whether she can find true love instead of an arranged marriage, and how she can build her own business from her own dreams.

Mary Sullivan's book High follows Ceti, a burgeoning soccer player whose dreams of freedom and stardom are always under threat by her mom's addiction.

Find all of these titles in our catalog: Teen Novels in Verse.

~ posted by Wally B.