Crossover

Crossover by Kwame Alexander, 237 pages

This is a novel told in verse about two basketball players.  Jordan and Josh, or JB and Filthy, as they are known, are twins and phenomenal on the court.  They are best friends until JB meets a cute new girl in school and their friendship starts to become frayed.  Filthy is jealous but doesn’t want to admit it and JB is obsessed with his girl and has been spending less time at home with his brother, and less time playing ball too.  Add into the mix the worry that their father may be ill and the situation could become explosive.  This was a great book that will probably have a lot of appeal for teen boys.

Formerly Shark Girl

Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham, 341 pages

This book told in verse is the sequel to Shark Girl.  The story of Jane, who lost her arm in a shark attack a year ago, is told from Jane’s perspective.  Jane is still struggling with some aspects of her life.  Since the accident she has considered becoming a nurse instead of an artist.  She is struggling with pain in the stump of her missing arm, but afraid that it may be more than just regular phantom pain.  She is still struggling to draw and paint with her left hand and feels that her work isn’t as good as it used to be.  She is also interested in dating, but isn’t sure she’s interested in the boy who seems to be interested in her.  Honestly, this is really just a story about a teen dealing with regular life and the choices that come with growing up.  Although some of the book is about her missing arm, teens will be more likely to see themselves in Jane and less likely to focus on the difference of her missing limb.  Teens that like novels in verse will probably like this book a lot.

Caminar

Caminar by Skila Brown, 193 pages


Caminar is a novel in verse. I’ve noticed that many “difficult” subjects in juvenile lit often get the novel in verse treatment (the dust bowl in Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust and displacement/immigration/the Vietnam War in Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again both pop to mind). The starkness and minimalism of the language in these books allows students to fill-in and imagine situations that they’re emotionally and developmentally ready for without going into minute detail about the horrors of war, death, depression, etc.

The subject matter in Caminar is definitely difficult. The book is set in a small Mayan village in Guatemala in 1981 during the Guatemalan Civil War. Prior to reading Caminar, I was largely unfamiliar with this war, and unaware of the Mayan Genocide committed by the Guatemalan government. The author doesn’t delve into the politics of the war, but focuses on the protagonist’s experience before, during and after his town is attacked by government soldiers. I’d recommend Caminar to advanced upper elementary students and middle school students who are interested in history – though the text may be sparse, the emotional impact is heavy.

Serafina's Promise

Serafina’s Promise by Ann E. Burg, 299 pages

This novel in verse follows the life of Serafina, a young girl in Haiti, who wants to go to school. Her family doesn’t have much money and her mother needs a lot of help because she is about to have a new baby. Serafina’s big ambition is to become a doctor and she is determined to convince her parents that she said be able to go to school. This book would be appropriate for most 4th to 6th grade readers. The story would probably appeal to children who like to read, but reluctant readers might be convinced to try it because of the amount of white space on the pages. It was an uplifting story, although a little sad at times.