With so many verse novels for middle graders, you might be stuck choosing a grade-appropriate title. Many of these verse novels also feature in our larger list of middle grade verse novels but there are a few unique ones here not mentioned on that list. The stories on this list tackle a variety of themes but all in a very accessible manner and a way more appropriate for upper elementary schoolers and younger middle schoolers.
Join our Patreon community to get the printable version of this list! You’ll also get access to other kid lit resources and perks, like our seasonal guides and educator interviews, to inspire you.
Great Verse Novels to Read with Your 6th Grade Class
Here are 15 great 6th grade verse novels:
I Am Kavi
Published: September 19, 2023
It’s 1998 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In the middle of the Sri Lankan Civil War, Kavi is dealing with her own personal upheavals. Her mother has remarried her father’s best friend after his death and is expecting a new baby. Meanwhile, Kavi is getting sent to the city on a scholarship to an elite private school. There, she starts telling lies about a life of wealth and grandeur– small at first, then bigger and bigger — to fit in with the rich kids until she begins to lose herself. This is a touching verse novel about a young girl adapting to changes in her world and finding her voice amidst the Sri Lankan civil war.
Isabel in Bloom
Published: April 9, 2024
After years of living in the Philippines while her mom works abroad, it’s finally time for Isabel to reunite with her mother in California. But when she arrives, there’s so much to adjust to, from snooty classmates to big malls, the absence of green space in their small apartment, and the different food. Armed with her grandfather’s advice to look for the familiar, things slowly get easier as she joins a cooking club in school and starts working on growing the school garden. I enjoyed this one and loved the underrepresented theme of an immigrant parent reuniting with a child and the insight into balikbayan boxes.
A Work in Progress
Published: May 2, 2023
Will feels like the only chubby kid in his class and feels insecure about his weight. Add to that the bullying he faces and his observations of his mother’s attitude toward food, and he falls into a pattern of disordered eating and over-exercising. Thankfully, a budding friendship with a new classmate changes his view. This is a great book about body image issues, and it’s done in an illustrated verse format that I think kids will love.
No Matter the Distance
Published: February 21, 2023
No Matter the Distance centers young Penny, a middle schooler with cystic fibrosis. Penny has to take digestive enzymes and do her breathing treatments to help her lungs get rid of mucus that affects her breathing. While her CF case is relatively mild-moderate, she still struggles with being chronically ill. One day a dolphin shows up in the lake near their house and Penny feels a strong connection with the animal. It turns out the dolphin (who Penny names Rose) is also sick and needs to return to her pod to get better. Penny may be the only one who can help the scientists take Rose back. But can she do that, when she feels so drawn to the animal? This is a beautiful middle grade verse novel about living with cystic fibrosis and finding belonging in community.
Starfish
Published: March 9, 2021
Starfish features Ellie, a fat girl who has been bullied for her weight since she wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash in the pool. Even her older brother and sister make fun of her weight. Her mom controls her diet, monitoring her portions and choosing lackluster “healthy” alternatives. Ellie is feeling more disheartened because her friend Viv who is also plus-sized is moving away. Thankfully, after Viv moves, Ellie finds a friend in her new neighbor Catalina and her family. The family loves food and welcome Ellie with open arms, never judging her for her weight. At school, bullying intensifies when a chair breaks after Ellie sits on it. Her mom is also pushing for gastric bypass surgery for Ellie. This is a powerful, fat-positive middle grade verse novel about a girl who is learning that she deserves to take up space.
Other Words for Home
Published: May 28, 2019
Young Jude is uprooted from her life in Syria in the midst of the civil unrest. She and her mother (who is pregnant) move temporarily to Cincinnati to live with her uncle and his family. Jude is sad to leave behind her country, best friend Fatima, father, and brother who’s involved in various protests in Syria. She’s also trying to build a relationship with her cousin who feels culturally adrift, unable to speak Arabic and knowing little to nothing about Syria. Still, Jude finds good things in America and learns how brave she can be. I would strongly recommend this to readers looking for stories set in Syria, fans of Hena Khan’s Amina’s Voice, and anyone in search of a story with a brave female protagonist.
Reckless, Glorious Girl
Published: February 23, 2021
Beatrice lives with her Mawmaw (her grandmother) and her mom in Bardstown, Kentucky. Her father died in an accident months before she was born. The book is set the summer before seventh grade and Beatrice is trying to figure out who she wants to be. Although she has two great girlfriends, she’s curious about what life would be like with the popular girls. She’s also crushing on a boy named Rodney, while wishing her more athletic frame (from her Mawmaw) will blossom into a more “womanly” figure. Then, her mom starts dating a not-so-nice guy who thinks they should move to a bigger city. Reckless, Glorious, Girl is a quintessential coming-of-age story about a girl whose community of women helps her find herself.
Call Me Adnan
Published: June 13, 2023
Adnan loves table tennis, his family, and the aviation alphabet. He’s color blind, left-handed and has a big sister and little brother, with another sibling on the way. When his family take a summer trip so he can compete in a tennis tournament, an unbelievable tragedy occurs, shattering their life as they know it. I don’t like sad stories. Life is hard enough, but the author drew me into this story and I couldn’t stop reading. The verse format is enjoyable and provides a wide enough window into the plot and characters. Most importantly, this story is very hopeful, despite the tragedy.
The Magical Imperfect
Published: June 15, 2021
Etan develops selective mutism after his mom has to go to a treatment facility for a mental disorder in 1980s San Francisco. Around that time, mini-earthquakes are frequent and Etan tries to keep up his daily schedule, which is basically school and then time with his grandfather. Sometimes, he helps an older shopkeeper in the neighborhood walk her dog and run errands. It is while he is on one of those errands that he meets Malia, a Filipina-American girl with severe eczema. Etan and Malia become fast friends, and he gets a closer look at how debilitating her eczema is. This is an incredibly moving verse novel about friendship, family, body image, and community.
Before the Ever After
Published: September 1, 2020
ZJ’s dad is a popular pro American footballer. He has a awesome crew of male friends who feel like family. Life seems pretty good until his dad comes home early from a game with an awful headache. The headache is joined by disturbing symptoms like forgetfulness, aggression, spacing out, and general confusion. The book is set in 1999-2000 when there was just a growing awareness of CTE. ZJ’s mom is worried because she knows a few other football friends of his dad who have had the same symptoms. As ZJ tries to get through each day, not knowing whether it’ll be a good day for his dad or a bad one, he finds comfort in family, comfort, and community. This is a brilliant, true-to-life portrayal of a child coping with his famous father’s deterioration due to CTE.
When Winter Robeson Came
Published: January 11, 2022
When Winter Robeson comes to visit his cousin, Eden in the summer of 1965, he had another agenda. Winter is a 13-year-old boy visiting Los Angeles from Mississippi. Unbeknownst to Eden and her family, Winter isn’t just there to see Disneyland — he’s looking for his father J.T. Robeson who came to LA 12 years ago and never returned. Eventually, he gets Eden to help him on his search. Not long after, the Watts Riot erupts. When Winter Robeson Came is a rich, immersive middle grade verse novel about family, LA in 1965, and the mystery of a missing parent.
Mirror to Mirror
Published: March 21, 2023
Mirror to Mirror is the story of twins Maya and Chaya, who, although opposites are inseparable. Where Maya is quiet and reserved, Chaya is outgoing. Both girls also share a few similar interests, top of which is their love for music. They even share friends, although they each have a different best friend. Suddenly, Maya starts to pull away from Chaya and the two begin to fight more. Concluding that her sister needs space from her, Chaya starts trying to distinguish herself — getting a pink streak in her hair and dropping music and trying a new art form. But the girls keep butting heads. When matters come to a head, their parents send them off to camp together with the aim of resolving their conflict. This is an immersive middle grade verse novel about sisterhood, friendships, anxiety, and the imperfections in family.
Aniana Del Mar Jumps in
Published: March 14, 2023
Aniana is a child of Dominican parents growing up on Galveston, an island in the state of Texas. Her mom has undiagnosed PTSD from the death of her (Aniana’s mother’s) brother years ago in a storm back in their home country, so she doesn’t want her daughter near the water. Aniana’s father wants his daughter to pursue her passion and takes her to swim meets without her mother’s knowledge. But when Aniana wakes up one day with painfully swollen joints and other weird symptoms after swimming, their secret is exposed, and Aniana is faced with a new diagnosis that may threaten the one sport she loves. This is a tender, moving middle grade verse novel about disability, sports, family trauma, and standing up for your dreams.
In the Beautiful Country
Published: June 28, 2022
Living in 80s Taiwan with her mother, Ai Shi (Anna) eagerly anticipates living in the beautiful country (the US) where their father moved a few months ago. As she gives away her favorite clothes and toys to cousins in preparation for the move, she can’t help but brag about the new life awaiting them. But she’s in for a shock when they arrive at their cramped apartment. Her father was conned into buying a failing fast-food restaurant, and Anna’s parents struggle to make ends meet. At school, she feels like an outsider since she can barely speak English. On top of that, her parents are dealing with some unkind customers who mistreat them because they’re Asians. Can Anna find her way? In the Beautiful Country is a moving, poignant, and lyrical verse novel about immigration, identity, food and family.
Deep Water
Published: April 9, 2024
Tully Birch’s mom left them weeks ago and Tully is convinced that if she does a marathon swim, something her mom was supposed to help her train for, her mom would see she is worth returning for. Her friend Arch is her only supporter, and although the swim starts out well, the weather, poor training, the weight of sad memories, and fatigue catch up with Tully just around the halfway mark. This book is gorgeously written and accessible for tween readers. I loved the shape poems, the survival edge throughout the story, and Tully and Arch’s friendship. I also enjoyed the way Sumner gradually shows readers a clearer vision of Tully’s mom besides the initial rosy depiction we see. This is a very short book that will appeal to fans of Alone and verse novel lovers in general.
Join our Patreon community to get the printable version of this list! You’ll also get access to other kid lit resources and perks, like our seasonal guides and educator interviews, to inspire you.
Which of these verse novels have you read? Did I miss any favorites?
What do you think? Leave a comment