Yesterday I had the very great pleasure of being part of the School Library Association of Victoria’s online Reading Forum, with a panel discussing one of my great loves – verse novels. Panellists included the amazing Kathryn Apel (poet extraordinaire), the equally amazing Zana Fraillon (whose prose I always adore, and whose first verse novel I cannot wait to get my hands on), Kelsy Peterson (amazing librarian from Brighton Grammar School) and Ruth Nitschke (from the fabulous National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature). And the attendees were librarians, teacher-librarians and other educators from across Victoria and further afield.
What an event! So much love for verse novels from the presenters and the attendees. One thing I loved was that we did not meet and plan who would say what, and yet we were such a great combination, with common threads running through without being repetitive. I know many of the attendees were already fans of the verse novel, but I also got the feeling that they were leaving with big to-read lists and even more passion for sharing verse novels with young readers. Winning!
Some of the takeaways for those of you who missed it:
- Verse novels are awesome.
- They exist on a range of topics, for a range of age groups and can appeal to readers of all interests.
- Verse novels are awesome.
- They offer poetry in a way which is accessible and relatable, but offer depth and empathetic experiences.
- Verse novels are really awesome.
- They can be used in the classroom for writing, for building reading skills and for exploring curriculum, but they can equally (and perhaps most importantly) be read for pleasure.
- Verse novels are totally awesome.
- White space! I think we all mentioned the white space in verse novels as being important, but it what was Zana said that really resonated with me – reminding us that the white space is both physical and metaphorical. That is – it is in what is not said, in the spaces, that a lot of meaning and connection is allowed to bloom.
- Verse novels are totally, absolutely awesome.
Okay, maybe I’m repeating myself on the awesome bit, but this was truly the message that the evening got across – both from the presenters and from the participants.
I logged out with a huge smile on my face, and a new list of to-reads. I am constantly surprised by how many verse novels I haven’t yet read – but also delighted because that means more reading joy in my future.
You can find the recommendations from Kelsy on her padlet here. I also cannot wait to get my hands on Zana’s The Way of Dog. I am lucky to have already read all of Kat’s verse novels, including the wonderful What Snail Knows, which I reviewed here. And, of course, a massive shout out to the amazing NCACL Verse Novel resource, where you can learn more about all the wonderful verse novels for children and young adults which have ever been published in Australia.
The other reason I’m smiling, is because today is Poetry Friday – so there is lots more poetry goodness ahead as I browse my friends’ poetic offerings. Rose is hosting this week’s the roundup here.
I thank you for sharing that take on the white space, Sally. There are wonderful resources here and I love seeing what y’all are getting up to down under. Would there be any way to see a recording of your session? Thanks!
Thank you Heidi. Unfortunately, the session was not recorded.
Actually, I just found out there is in fact an audio recording available here: https://soundcloud.com/user-672487052/reading-forum-series-2022-exploring-verse
You had me at the title of you post! Yes, yes, and YES!!
(PS–the poets who write them are awesome, too!)
Aww. Thank you Mary Lee.
Thank you, Sally, for the great recommendations! I’m also a big fan of verse novels. One of my favorites is WHERE I LIVE by Eileen Spinelli which I decided to reread this weekend.
Thks for dropping in Rose. Where I Live is on my list to source and read, so you’ve inspired me to search for it.
I’m fairly recent to verse novels, but LOVED Lisa Phipps’ STARFISH and Nikki Grimes’ WORDS WITH WINGS. These two made me fans of the format and YES… WHITE SPACE!! But, truly, I think it’s because I think in verse!
Yes, Patricia – I agree – if you already think that way, verse novels just make sense. Beautiful sense.
Your enthusiasm shines throughout this post, Sally – awesome, indeed! Your gathering sounds wonderful. As does Kat’s new book – Thanks for sharing all.
And thank you for dropping in, Robyn
Verse novels ARE awesome! I’m currently working my way through the last few from the NCTE’s ’22 list, so I’m happy to check out the padlet and NCACL and see what else I can add to my TBR list! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome Sarah, and thank you for dropping in.
I agree verse novels are AWESOME! I’ve read every one I can get my hands on including your Pearl Verses the World (which I loved)!
Thank you Linda!
YOU are awesome, Sally! Thanks for sharing all the verse novel news and Kelsey’s Padlet link. I now have my summer reading mapped out. 🙂
Thank you awesome Bridget. I smiled at the thought of summer reading. I am sitting rugged up in my woollies, with a lap rug on, bemoaning how long I have to wait for summer to come back – and it is still officially autumn. Winter is two weeks away!
Verse novels ARE awesome. I couldn’t agree more. And, I’m seeing an uptick in the number of teachers using them for book clubs and other activities. They simply provide a bigger bang for the buck. That’s all there is to it. I really look forward to my summer break so I can dig into my TBR pile. It’s high these days. Someday, I really want to visit Aus. and find out how reading and library-ing is done there. Someday–sigh. Your post only makes me want to visit sooner!
Yes, they work very well in the classroom and in bookclubs. Narrative AND poetry in one neat package with layers of meaning, accessibility….
And yes, do come down under!