Format: Verse novel

The Waters and the Wild

Poetry, Verse novel

A beautiful novel in verse about grief, family and the power of hope from Eilish Fisher, award-winning author of Fia and the Last Snow Deer.

Rowan was raised in the desert. Growing up all she’s known is sunshine, warmth, love. Then her beloved Dad dies, everything changes.

Now Rowan and her mum have moved from the hazy heat of the desert to the cold landscape of Ireland. Each of them hoping that living in the town Rowan’s Dad called home will bring them closer to him.

But as soon as Rowan arrives, she knows something’s not right. Why is it so cold even in August? Why do lights turn on without warning or kettles boil with no one pressing a switch?

Even more mysterious is The Wall. It surrounds the town, but no one can tell Rowan who built it or how long it’s stood, or why it’s forbidden to cross over to the other side. So, when she spots a crack in the stone, Rowan can’t resist the temptation to explore. In the woods beyond, she discovers a strange horse whom she feels an instant connection with, a bond that brings the return of warmth and hope . . . but at what price?

Six Weeks

Verse novel

Alfie Piper has six weeks of summer ahead, but since his mum died, his world has unravelled. The silence between him and his increasingly estranged stepdad sits heavy, so he does the only thing that makes sense – he grabs his bike and rides around on the seven hills of Sheffield, alone. His friends struggle to bridge the chasm created by his experience of grief, and while his Dad does his best to hold things together, the days feel lonely. In these long summer days, Alfie has to figure out if he can rebuild what has been broken, as a raw and emotive journey sits ahead of him.

The talented duo of Matt Goodfellow and Joe Todd-Stanton are back, this time exploring a boy’s grief and his journey to rebuild his world after life-changing bereavement. Many readers will have adored The Final Year and The First Year, which have become seminal transition texts and brought verse novels beautifully into the spotlight they deserve. Six Weeks is a standalone story written in the same emotion-packed verse novel style that will meet readers’ now high expectations.

Matt is an exceptional storyteller, and his use of verse is incredibly effective at conveying Alfie’s internal world. Joe’s illustrations are equally powerful. The backdrop of the Peaks – with places like Castleton and, fittingly, Hope, providing space for Alfie to process his journey – serves as a suitable reminder of the undulating reality of Alfie’s emotional landscape.

The relationship between Alfie and his stepdad is handled with great sensitivity, as layer by layer they shed the complexities of their past to unite toward a brighter future, without ever glibly smoothing over the jagged edges of their relationship. Raw but entirely hopeful, Six Weeks is a must-read for Upper KS2 and KS3.

Circling the Stars

Laura Sheldon

Poetry, Verse novel

Dad has moved out and Ani is struggling to accept his absence. Her mysterious neighbour, Nando, and his secret nocturnal trips provide a welcome distraction.

An enchanting tale of secret nighttime walks, a mysterious fox and finding friendship in the most unexpected of places.

When Ani follows Nando in the dead of night, she doesn’t expect to come face-to-face with the wild fox he has befriended. During each nighttime visit they learn a little more about the fox, and each other.

But are Ani and Nando ready for the new challenges this friendship brings? And can caring for another creature bring more harm than good in this strange secret world?

Black Star

Kwame Alexander

Poetry, Verse novel

Kwame Alexander weaves a spellbinding story of struggle, determination and the unflappable faith of an American family.

Twelve-year-old Charley is set on becoming the first female pitcher to play professional baseball, even if that’s a lofty dream for a Black girl in the American South in the 1920s. Even so, her grandfather Kofi’s thrilling stories about courageous ancestors and epic journeys make it impossible not to dream big. She knows he has so much more to tell, but according to her parents, she isn’t old enough to know about certain things, like what happened to Booker Preston that one night in Great Bridge, and why she can never play on the brand-new baseball field on the other side of town.

When Charley challenges a neighbourhood bully to a game at the church picnic, she knows she can win, even with her ragtag team. Then a dispute on the field leads to Charley making a fateful decision, one that will bring consequences she never could have imagined.

Not Going to Plan

Tia Fisher

Poetry, Verse novel

A powerful verse novel about sexual consent, unplanned pregnancy and the breaking of taboos.

Marnie’s really messed up this time – expelled and forced to change schools, the only empty seat in Marnie’s new school is next to Zed, a nerd with zero tolerance for mistakes. Marnie (skilled at art and Spanish, struggles with numbers) can’t wait to lose her virginity. Zed (brilliant at maths and physics, loathes languages) is a loner who can’t stand being touched. They couldn’t be less alike, but they both need good grades in the subjects they hate.

What starts as a trade in tuition turns into an unlikely friendship – and after Marnie has sex with a boy who lies about using a condom, she needs Zed’s help to make the hardest decision of her life.

Solo

Grainne O’Brien

Poetry, Verse novel

A novel in verse about teenage love and friendships, lost and found.

Daisy can feel like a solo act at home. On the outside of her twin brothers’ intense relationship, she leans towards her parents, particularly her father, for support. As a passionate classical musician, she is not wildly popular at
school, but she has one close friend and a life filled with musical performance. Her life is turned upside down when her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her, and Daisy is left disconnected from her one true love, music.

When she makes a new friend at school, mysterious Flora, Daisy finds a glimmer of peace in her chaotic life. Just as everything seems to be getting better, they all fall apart. Family tensions heighten as Daisy’s dad falls ill and
Daisy needs to decide should she find her way back to who she was or look towards who she is going to become.

The Brightest Star

Meg Grehan

Poetry, Verse novel

Follow-up to the award-winning The Deepest Breath. A warm and sensitive dual narrator LGBTQ+ story.

Stevie is about to start secondary school. She often feels anxious, but feels much better having her two best friends, Chloe and Andrew, by her side.Their new school is filled with excitement, like the LGBTQIA+ club, but also challenges, such as math class. The biggest challenge of all though comes when Andrew suddenly becomes distant. Andrew isn’t quite sure who he is yet. This didn’t matter much before, especially when he was hanging out with Stevie and Chloe. Now it seems to matter very much indeed, but he doesn’t know how to begin talking about it with his friends, who seem to be much clearer about who they are.

Roar by Manjeet Mann

Manjeet Mann

Poetry, Verse novel

Rizu lives a comfortable life in the gated middle class suburbs of Delhi; her biggest worries are getting her homework done and keeping up with the mean girls at school. That is, until she’s accused of being a witch and the hysteria that follows triggers a chain reaction that ends in tragedy and life as she knew it changes forever.

Alone and fearing for her life, Rizu runs away and joins a group of pink sari wearing, stick wielding women, known for their revenge vigilantism. Together they can help Rizu take back her life and seek justice against those who wronged her.

But at what cost?

Moonrise

Poetry, Verse novel

‘It’s the hope that’ll kill you.’This haunting story of hope and heartbreak wrenches the emotions as it explores the meaning of life and death, love and forgiveness.

For Joe, his brother Ed is the person who attended his parents’ evenings, who saved up money so he could have proper Christmas presents, and who protected him from the disorder of a life of poverty with an alcoholic mother. But when Joe was seven, his brother – himself damaged by the disorder – left home. Then Ed is wrongly accused and found guilty of the murder of a cop in Texas, where the penalty for the crime is death. Years of appeals have failed, and now there’s a date for his execution. Joe, still only a teenager, travels alone from New York to Texas to visit his brother. There’s one final hope for reprieve.

Flashbacks fill in the details of the brothers’ relationship and show the poignant contrast between public perceptions and private memories of a convicted murderer on Death Row. Written in verse, the language is spare and simple and cuts directly to the emotional centre of Joe’s young life. I liked the way it is carefully nuanced. There is empathy rather than judgment for all the characters – even the warden responsible for the Death Row prisoners and Aunt Karen, who assumes that Ed is guilty and does her best to keep Joe from his wicked older brother. This beautiful book made me think, and cry – and I’m still worrying about Joe.

Run, Rebel

Poetry, Verse novel

Once I had started this book, there was no stopping; I was completely swept up by its emotional force.

There’s no stopping Amber either, once she sets herself on the path of rebellion against her father and her community. To the outside world, she is a pretty normal teenager. At home, she wrestles with a toxic mixture of poverty, alcoholism, domestic violence and the expectation that, as a girl, she must obediently prove she is not a burden. The only outlet for her emotions is running, which turns down the rage and provides respite from the familiar urge to escape. When her father’s rules threaten to destroy an amazing chance for her to run competitively, Amber musters the courage to rebel. The price of freedom will be high, but she is determined not to cave in like her sister and mother.

Written in verse, economical language strikes to the heart of complex issues and conflicting emotions. Through the poetry of Amber’s internal narrative, we get to know a character who inspires our sympathy and empathy. She resents her father’s control, but she also loves him. She is frustrated by her mother’s compliance, but she also worries for her. She longs to share her secret but also wants to protect it. The closer she comes to total rebellion, the more desperately Amber hopes she won’t have to go through with it. This compelling and moving story gives a voice to those marginalised by poverty, fear and demanding social expectations. It would be great for provoking discussions about cultural norms, individuality and ambition.