Are you a teacher looking to incorporate more books about poetry into your classes? Whether you’re looking for some fresh ideas on teaching literature, or simply want to get young people hooked on reading it can be difficult to find the right resources. This blog is here to help you find the perfect books about poetry to introduce to your young wordsmith.
Note: This is a guest feature by Samantha from Samantha in Secondary. Samantha is a secondary educator with over a decade of experience. She loves sharing reading and writing strategies as well as YA recommendations. You can find more about Samantha and all of her book recommendations on her blog or Instagram. Thanks for sharing with us, Sam!
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Why Books About Poetry?
Poetry has the power to transform individual lives and collectively shape public conversations. Through its use of language, imagery and invitation of self-reflection, it offers a unique opportunity for people to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings. As we read or write poetry, we are prompted to consider our place in the world. This exploration can create connections between us and help us discover new perspectives on difficult topics. Expressing our thoughts in poetic form also allows us to be vulnerable without feeling too exposed. Whether we find solace in words written by another or take comfort in our own compositions, using poetry to make sense of the complex layers of thought and emotion is an invaluable tool for better understanding ourselves and each other.
Poetry is an amazing way for teens to express themselves and explore the world around them. It can be a great outlet for emotions that may otherwise be hard to express, as well as an opportunity to see things from different perspectives. Additionally, reading poetry can help build awareness of important issues in the world by exposing young people to topics they may never have encountered before. It even carries far-reaching cognitive benefits, such as increased comprehension of language and improved communication skills. Reading poetry gives teens the chance to engage their minds in a deeply meaningful way, unlocking new levels of self-discovery and understanding.
Some teens may not yet be comfortable expressing themselves through poetry, but reading about teens who also love poetry can be both encouraging and therapeutic. This list of YA books about poetry will introduce teens to a host of characters who love words and have been influenced by poetry.
This is not a list of poetry books, but rather books in which poetry is a central theme and influences the main character. From lyrical stories of love and loss, to creative tales of growing up – this selection offers something for every teenager out there.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
A beautiful story about a young girl in Harlem struggling to find her voice. Told in verse, this stunning novel will inspire you with the transformative power of words.
“Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.
But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.
With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.
Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.”
Slammed by Colleen Hoover
There are not many Colleen Hoover books that are actually for teens (much to the chagrin of young people), but this one fits the bill. Although the story tiptoes around a teacher-student relationship, it’s all quite tame and based around a misunderstanding. The best part of this book is Will’s passion for slam poetry which pours through the pages beautifully.
“Following the unexpected death of her father, eighteen-year-old Layken becomes the rock for both her mother and younger brother. She appears resilient and tenacious, but inside, she’s losing hope. Then she meets her new neighbor Will, a handsome twenty-one-year-old whose mere presence leaves her flustered and whose passion for poetry slams thrills her.
Not long after a heart-stopping first date during which each recognizes something profound and familiar in the other, they are slammed to the core when a shocking discovery brings their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together and the forces that tear them apart. Only through the poetry they share are they able to speak the truth that is in their hearts and imagine a future where love is cause for celebration, not regret.”
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
In The Wild Light is a beautiful portrait of a young man from a small Appalachian town finding his way at an elite prep school far from home. With poetry and a friendship he doesn’t fully understand, Cash will have to navigate his new life and himself. Dare you not to absolutely fall in love with these characters and their heart wrenching stories.
“A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school. For fans of Looking for Alaska.
Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He’s been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. Jeff Zentner’s new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.”
Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
Although poetry isn’t the central theme in this novel, it plays a part large enough to influence the outcome. The writing itself is stunningly lyrical and the story will tug at your heartstrings, so it absolutely deserves a place on this list.
“Ellis and Easton have been inseparable since childhood. But when a rash decision throws Ellis’s life—and her relationship with Easton—into chaos, she’s forced to move halfway across the country, far from everything she’s ever known.
Now Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton in a year, and maybe it’s better that way; maybe eventually the Easton-shaped hole in her heart will heal.
But when Easton’s mom invites her home for a visit, Ellis finds herself tangled up in the web of heartache, betrayal, and anger she left behind . . . and with the boy she never stopped loving.”
For Every One by Jason Reynolds
Jason Reynolds is a masterful writer and all of his books are poetic in their own right, but this specific piece showcases the power of our own dreams and is a must-read for young people searching for their place.
“For Every One is exactly that: for every one. For every one person. For every one who has a dream. But especially for every kid. The kids who dream of being better than they are. Kids who dream of doing more than they almost dare to imagine. Kids who are like Jason Reynolds, a self-professed dreamer. Jason does not claim to know how to make dreams come true; he has, in fact, been fighting on the front line of his own battle to make his own dreams a reality. He expected to make it when he was sixteen. Then eighteen. Then twenty-five. Now, some of those expectations have been realized. But others, the most important ones, lay ahead, and a lot of them involve kids, how to inspire them: All the kids who are scared to dream, or don’t know how to dream, or don’t dare to dream because they’ve NEVER seen a dream come true. Jason wants kids to know that dreams take time. They involve countless struggles. But no matter how many times a dreamer gets beat down, the drive and the passion and the hope never fully extinguishes—because simply having the dream is the start you need, or you won’t get anywhere anyway, and that is when you have to take a leap of faith.”
Solo by Kwame Alexander
Solo takes on arguably the most popular form of poetry – songwriting. Another novel in verse, it’s as poetic as it is poignant.
“Blade never asked for a life of the rich and famous. In fact, he’d give anything not to be the son of Rutherford Morrison, a washed-up rock star and drug addict with delusions of a comeback. Or to no longer be part of a family known most for lost potential, failure, and tragedy, including the loss of his mother. The one true light is his girlfriend, Chapel, but her parents have forbidden their relationship, assuming Blade will become just like his father.
In reality, the only thing Blade and Rutherford have in common is the music that lives inside them. And songwriting is all Blade has left after Rutherford, while drunk, crashes his high school graduation speech and effectively rips Chapel away forever. But when a long-held family secret comes to light, the music disappears. In its place is a letter, one that could bring Blade the freedom and love he’s been searching for, or leave him feeling even more adrift.”
Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone
The premise of this story will stay with you long after it’s over. It’s a powerful coming-of-age story that explores reckoning with who we truly are deep down and how we find hope and healing.
“Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can’t turn off.
Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn’t help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she’d be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam’s weekly visits to her psychiatrist.
Caroline introduces Sam to Poet’s Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more “normal” than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.”
Love in English by Maria E. Andreu
This novel explores the power of words in a meaningful way by looking at what happens when you’re thrust into a world where words no longer make sense. Ana navigates her new normal with poise, and of course, poetry.
“Sixteen-year-old Ana is a poet and a lover of language. Except that since she moved to New Jersey from Argentina, she can barely find the words to express how she feels.
At first Ana just wants to return home. Then she meets Harrison, the very cute, very American boy in her math class, and discovers the universal language of racing hearts. But when she begins to spend time with Neo, the Greek Cypriot boy from ESL, Ana wonders how figuring out what her heart wants can be even more confusing than the grammar they’re both trying to master. After all, the rules of English may be confounding, but there are no rules when it comes to love.
With playful and poetic breakouts exploring the idiosyncrasies of the English language, Love in English is witty and effervescent, while telling a beautifully observed story about what it means to become ‘American.’”
And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard
This novel is as haunting as it is powerful. It’s a tribute to the power of words and the people who find along the way who help us heal.
“Senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school with a stolen gun, threatens his girlfriend, Emily Beam, and then takes his own life. Soon after, angry and guilt-ridden Emily is sent to a boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where two quirky fellow students and the spirit of Emily Dickinson offer helping hands. But it is up to Emily Beam to heal her own damaged self, to find the good behind the bad, hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow.”
Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott
A fresh, moving debut novel that incorporates the power of our differences and the things that bring us together.
“Sam has the rules of slackerhood down: Don’t be late to class. Don’t ever look the teacher in the eye. Develop your blank stare. Since his mom left, he has become an expert in the art of slacking, especially since no one at his new school gets his intense passion for the music of the Pacific Northwest―Nirvana, Hole, Sleater-Kinney. Then his English teacher begins a slam poetry unit and Sam gets paired up with the daunting, scarred, clearly-a-gang-member Luis, who happens to sit next to him in every one of his classes. Slacking is no longer an option―Luis will destroy him. Told in Sam’s raw voice and interspersed with vivid poems, Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott is a stunning debut novel about differences, friendship, loss, and the power of words.”
Every story has its own unique way of weaving the beauty of words and storytelling together. These 10 YA books about poetry are no different. These ten books have proven to be inspiring reads that breathe new life into the genre and have something for everyone, from plot-driven stories steeped in nostalgia to character-centric reads full of emotion. It’s clear that YA books about poetry open an outlet for readers to explore a whole world of emotions.
Now as we come to the end of this post, don’t just keep scrolling; take a moment out of your day to comment down below and share your favorite YA book about poetry! Sound off in the comments below or follow me on Instagram to join the conversation.
Happy teaching!
Samantha
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