Branching Out: Books for Fans of The Final Year

This verse novel is an incredible read and sang to me the way the tree sang to Kai, the main character, in the story.

Written in verse, this style of writing is accessible to reluctant and struggling readers, enabling them to feel all the emotions of a wonderful story normally found in longer, chapter book form. It tells the story of a boy, growing up without privilege, where family and friendships are the most important thing in his life. The subtle plot is revealed gradually as the story develops, jumping forwards and backwards in time in an effective way. The vocabulary has been carefully chosen to be powerful and moving, whilst retaining simplicity. The layout of the text and words draws the eyes to the page and the stunning illustrations, also simple but beautiful, make this book a feast for the eyes.

Considering opposing themes of friendship and bullying, and family struggles and love, this book ultimately conveys the importance of acceptance, empathy and kindness. Suitable for reader aged 10-13, with a wide range of reading abilities, this book is a ‘must’ for pre-teen libraries and book corners.

Brian Moses, a prolific and much-loved children’s poet, ventures into new territory with I Am Ray’s Imaginary Friend, his first verse novel.

From the outset, the gentle cover, light humour, and engaging narrative voice quickly draw readers in. The story is told from the perspective of Jacob, an imaginary friend created by Ray, whose warm and witty narration establishes an immediate emotional connection.

Ray’s life in his village is turned upside down when he overhears his parents discussing a potential move. Distressed and unsettled, he invents Jacob as a source of comfort. Through their conversations, Jacob helps Ray build resilience and confidence, guiding him through feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. The story sensitively explores themes of change, empathy and emotional growth, presenting them in a way that is both accessible and reassuring for young readers from 6 years upwards. It also covers the topic of a Ukrainian refugee mother and child coming to live in Ray’s new family home.

The book’s verse format enhances its accessibility.  While it is a relatively quick read, the structure encourages moments of reflection. I Am Ray’s Imaginary Friend is a comforting and thoughtful story about coping with change. Its uplifting conclusion leaves room for the return of Jacob, offering a reassuring sense of continuity and hope.

This beautiful verse novel follows a girl in the transition period from primary to secondary school. The individual poems that make up the story play wonderfully with shape, rhythm and language and deliver a range of styles mirroring the complex emotional themes.

The book includes topics of domestic violence, bullying and homelessness discussed from a child’s perspective. These are handled sensitively, and there is an overall sense of positivity and optimism.

It’s a powerful, empathetic book, particularly suited to year 6.

Zana Fraillon is a brilliant writer, and this story is no exception. Because it’s written in verse, the pages turn quickly, making it great for less confident readers who still want a story with emotional depth.

This is an emotional read that deals with animal cruelty and neglect. The main character is a dog who starts life in a puppy farm and experiences mistreatment at the hands of humans, as well as the loss of loved ones.

It captures the ‘voice’ of a dog perfectly. It doesn’t shy away from the harder parts of a dog’s life, but it ends on a note of hope. A really powerful addition to any class library.

Devon, 1941. Like her brother, Ralph, Bonnie wants to help in the war effort rather than tend the home vegetable patch. So when the mysterious Mr Fisher is billeted at their family home, Bonnie’s mission to uncover his secrets begins. Why is he here? Is he a shirker? Or worse … a German spy?

In this engaging and emotional verse novel the words dance on the page to tell the story through poetry. Digging for Victory is captivating, powerful and entertaining. The words form interesting shapes to mirror certain themes in the story, which creates the interest needed for a reluctant reader and creates a playful vibe.

While the story is about a girl in the Second World War, some will see it as a detective story, and others will latch onto the important themes running through the book. Cathy Faulkner weaves themes through the story so that your young reader will emerge with more insight into life – it tackles self-esteem, intrinsic versus extrinsic influences on identity, fitting in, bullying, rejecting stereotypes, grief and family. While being a positive and hopeful book, it is also very moving.

The verse format clearly tells the story through poetry and makes the book stand out from the crowd of WW2 stories. It is the perfect way to tell this emotional story while encouraging the reader to care about the characters.

This is book is a delight; it tells a truthful but heartwarming tale of Nyla, her newfound friend and her grandma who is slipping further away as Alzheimer’s takes control.

Nyla has lived with the information that her Dad died when she was only four, but recent events cause her to question whether there is a chance that Dad is still alive. Nyla sets out on a mission to uncover the truth and, in doing so, makes a new friend in the form of Raymond, a boy who she discovers sitting in her local library and a boy who will help her to bring pieces of a puzzle together again.

Written in the form of a poem, this is a story which zips along and is hard to put down. It is honest and accurate in the way in which it portrays the effects of Alzheimer’s – Grandma ‘time travels’ as she clings to the past but forgets the present. The relationship that Nyla has with her Grandma is really moving; Nyla takes on the role of carer as her Mum is working hard to make ends meet. Nyla knows how best to soothe when Grandma is confused and agitated, she laughs and dances with Grandma when she is happy but Nyla is unable to do the one thing that matters most to her – she can’t unlock Grandma’s memories to allow her to know the truth about her father.

When Grandma starts to see Dad in unusual places, Nyla turns detective and starts digging for clues to find the truth. As the story unfolds, she has to deal with bullies, racism and conflicting loyalties. It is a story that is honest and real; it tackles issues that children will know and understand and it does so with sensitivity, honesty and sometimes humour. Readers will find it hard to put down as they bond with Nyla and will join her in her desire to find a happy ending. I found this story to be really compelling and finished it in two days – not because of its form but because I really cared about Nyla and her quest.

For anyone who has life has been touched by Alzheimer’s, there is plenty to bring comfort and much to relate to. Nyla does find her happy ending but maybe not in the way the reader would expect.

Set in the USA, Emmy and her family have just relocated to California from Wisconsin. In a leap of faith, to promote her father’s career as a pianist, Emmy’s family have left behind everything they know and love. Including her Mom’s career in opera.

It is clear from the outset that Emmy is going to struggle to fit into her new school (culturally, a world away from her old one), so she decides to keep her head down and concentrate on her classwork. One of the electives that she has chosen is Computer Science. It is in this class that she meets a new friend: a girl who loves coding, yet hides her talents because it is not in keeping with her choir-girl image. Conscious that if her friends find out about her secret passion, she could be ostracised from the friendship group, Abigail’s internal struggles are real.

As the school term moves on, Emmy’s two worlds of coding and music begin to interweave making this ‘novel in verse’ a masterpiece, showing how notes and beats and rhythms overlap with code and language and algorithms. Among this runs a rich storyline of friendship. Can Emmy’s new friend accept her outside of the classroom? Will they be able to break through the prejudice of being girls who enjoy coding? And will they be able to support their teacher as she faces her health problems?

This is a joyous and accomplished piece of writing. The use of verse in the novel is powerful and captures the emotions exquisitely. A perfect book for children (and adults) who enjoy coding and/or music.

This superb  book is written in narrative verse from the point of view of Jack, a boy in school who doesn’t like poetry.

However, with the encouragement of his teacher, Jack begins to keep a diary and soon realises he can write a poem. The story covers the topic of losing pets and dealing with the associated emotions.

The whole book is written in verse and is a short read, while being very enjoyable throughout KS2. The story shows how poetry can be used to convey feelings and emotions and process important life events.

Written in different forms of poetry and told as a flashback, this is a heart-wrenching story that offers many possibilities for engagement and discussion. Dealing with themes of bullying, courage, unlikely friendships, loyalty and betrayal, this book explores a child’s ability to perceive everyday experiences in a multi-sensory way.

Davey is new at school and attracts the attention of the school bully, Sam, who makes fun of the holes in his jumper and his unusual ideas. But then Davey heroically saves Sam’s life and the pair become friends. Davey shares a secret with Sam, but when Sam betrays that secret it puts Davey in a life-threatening situation which changes everything.