April is national poetry month, and whether you attend poetry slams every Friday or haven’t read a poem since 8th grade English, it’s the perfect time to spice up your shelf with novels in verse! Read on for 9 of our favorites:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson’s poems about her childhood are vivid, emotionally charged, and what make this book a National Book Award winner, Newbery Honor winner, and Coretta Scott King Award winner.

American Ace by Marilyn Nelson

Connor’s investigation of his grandfather’s identity is a journey through family, race, and history – and the kind of quietly powerful story that stays with you for a long time.

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen

When Mira’s world shatters her senior year, she has to make sense of the fractures in her family’s fabric and redefine herself. Told in free-verse, it will make your heart soar and break at the same time.

Please Excuse this Poem edited by Brett Fletcher Lauer & Lynn Melnick

Full of grit, love, humor, and heart, this collection of 100 poems from young poets has the power to change the way you look at the world.

Audacity by Melanie Crowder

This is a gorgeous novel about the inspiring story of Clara Lemlich, whose fight for equal rights led to the largest strike by women in American history.

Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

Absolutely heartbreaking but empowering at the same time, this is the story of one girl finding her voice amidst an abusive family life.

The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

A complex story about a ‘perfect’ daughter who rebels when her parents send her autistic brother to an institution, and a beautiful meditation on decisions, family, and deciding who you are.

How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson

Dive into celebrated poet Marilyn Nelson’s development as an artist and young woman through the fifty poems included in her Civil Rights era memoir.

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

Romantic and intense, this is the eloquent story of high school junior Sara, who sacrifices everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. But did she make the right decision?

This Impossible Light by Lily Meyers

A novel from a YouTube slam poetry star, this is an essential story of identity and self-worth.  Fifteen-year-old Ivy comes from a difficult family background and her body is changing in ways she can’t control.  When she develops an eating disorder, which leads to devastating consequences, she’ll find how important family is, and what it means to be away from them.

Buy This Impossible Light here!