April Is National Poetry Month

This month, we celebrate our love of language in poetry.  A growing genre is novels written in verse.  So here are some of my favorite Novels in Verse for teens . . . .

Coaltown Jesus by Ron Koertge
Praying for help after the sudden death of his brother, Walker is astonished by the appearance of an irreverent Jesus in his bedroom who imparts unexpected strength and comfort while helping him understand some of life's biggest questions.

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
Fifteen-year-old Ruby Milliken leaves her best friend, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her mother's grave in Boston and reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to live with her father, a famous movie star who divorced her mother before Ruby was born.

Keesha's House by Helen Frost
Seven teens facing such problems as pregnancy, closeted homosexuality, and abuse each describe in poetic forms what caused them to leave home and where they found home again.

Cold Skin by Steven Herrick
In a rural Australian coal mining town shortly after World War II, teenaged Eddie makes a startling discovery when he investigates the murder of a local high school girl.


More Teen Novels in Verse --
The Brimstone Journals by Ronald Koertge
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
By the River by Steven Herrick
Crossing Stones by Helen Frost
Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses by Ronald Koertge
Nothing by Robin Friedman
October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Leslea Newman
Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
The Taking of Room 113: A Hostage Drama in Poems by Mel Glenn
Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards
Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill
The Wolf by Steven Herrick

Check these books on display at the Arnold Branch through April 25, 2015.

Coaltown Jesus by Ronald Koertge

"I would have been here sooner, but traffic on I-55 was awful."

Walker is shocked to find Jesus standing in the middle of his bedroom.  Granted he did pray for help for his mom who hasn't stopped crying since his brother died two months ago.  But he didn't expect Jesus to show up. 

And that's just the start. 

Jesus is determined to help Walker -- just not in the way he expects.  He wants him to adopt a dog.  He wants him to play basketball and hit on a pretty girl.  What he doesn't want is to reveal himself to Walker's mom.

This was a very interesting book on a boy dealing with issues of grief, religion, guilt, and family relationships.  It is a very quick read as it is written in verse.  Each poem is short and to the point while revealing a lot about Walker and his situation.