Canada Day is coming up – July 1 – so I’m celebrating
our super-talented, home-grown verse novelists.
For a writer, crafting a verse novel is a thrilling
exploration of language, form and story. No niggling voices nagging about
punctuation and capitalization – only free-floating ideas, images, playful
language and that wonderful white space – the drama of the implied thought.
Writing a verse novel requires huge leaps of faith to
soar over terrifying doubt. It’s a risky, sometimes crazy way to tell a story –
but verse novelists have exceptional conviction: if they’re exhilarated by
writing these narratives they believe that their readers will be too.
Canadian writers have been slower to experiment with
this beautiful, thoughtful genre – American and Australian writers have been
doing it much longer – but we have finally arrived. So, Canadian verse
novelists – take a well-deserved bow. Our list may be short but every book on
it is pure joy.
In 1828, Ann and her
father rescue 163 Irish immigrants from a shipwreck off the coast of
Newfoundland. Inspired by historical events.
Sixteen-year-old
Raphaelle says the wrong thing, antagonizes the wrong people and has the wrong
attitude. She can't do anything right except draw, but she draws the wrong
pictures that get her into a heap of trouble. This is a wild, bold story. Kudos
to Gabrielle.
Usually, when Casey's
famous mom went on tour, Casey got to go. But since settling down with a new
husband and baby, things have changed. Casey begins building fires to send
smoke signals to her mother, hoping her mother will see her message.
Laren Olivier knows the
rules, but her attraction to a friend’s ex-boyfriend is strong. When
tragedy strikes, Laren finds herself struggling with a discovery so shocking it
rocks the very foundation of her world. This quiet book sneaks up on you and
then bam – hits you in the heart.
Fishtailing by Wendy Phillips, 2010
Natalie moves to a new
school and entangles others in her forbidden world of partying and rebellion. A
perfect book.
In this narrative poem, a
storm overwhelms the Royal Canadian Mounties, scattering their horses in all
directions and resulting in the mysterious disappearance of one horse. I love
this book – though hard to find.
Set in Canada during the
Great Depression, orphans, sixteen-year-old Ran, fourteen-year-old Nora,
twelve-year-old Jim and little Addie find a way to make ends meet under the
watchful eye of their dead parents. Told from multiple points of view, this book offers a compelling tale of
faith and courage in the face of suffering and evil.
A grief-stricken BJ deals
with the aftermath of her friend Alex’s death as we read Alex’s journal.
Karma by Cathy Ostlere, 2011
After her mother’s
suicide, 15-year-old Maya and her father travel from Canada to India for a
traditional burial. The year is 1984, and on the night of their arrival in New
Delhi, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated. The city erupts in chaos
and Maya is separated from her father. This one’s mine!
Libertad by Alma Fullerton, 2008
When Libertad's mother is
killed in an accident at the Guatemalan city dump where the family picks trash,
Libertad and his little brother make the trip to the United States to find
their father. Beautiful.
My book of life by Angel by Martine Leavitt, 2012
Sixteen-year-old Angel is
coerced into drugs and prostitution by a man she meets in a mall. You’ve never
read a verse novel like this one. Based on real events.
When Nix's older sister,
Roxy, starts breaking the rules things spiral out of control. This is a
heartbreaking story told with grace.
The
Apprentice’s Masterpiece by
Melanie Little, 2009
Ramon, 15, is a
Jew forced to convert to Christianity. His family takes in Amir, born Muslim,
also forced to give up his faith, during the Spanish Inquisition. Sophisticated
and profound.
The Crazy Man by Pamela Porter, 2005
Emaline, 12, is maimed in
a freak farm accident. Her father shoots the dog and storms off and doesn't
return. Her mother, in need of help around the farm, takes in Angus, a gentle
giant from the mental hospital. A Canadian classic.
Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton, 2007
A young man's mother has
attempted suicide and is left in a coma.
Yellow Mini by Lori Weber
Mark has inherited a
yellow mini from his deceased father. Stacey, his girlfriend, Mary and
Annabelle alternate voices as they find their niches, be it concert pianist or
activist. Dramatic and perfect for teenagers.
Part Roald Dahl, part Dr.
Seuss, this rhyming novel tells the story of Katrina, Morty, and the missing
Zorgles. Sheer talent.
To
see more fabulous verse novels from all over the world check out Sarah Tregay’s
list.
