Meet Lisa Krok, Author of Novels in Verse for Teens: A Guidebook with Activities for Teachers and Librarians

Author Lisa Krok understands the vital importance of all readers seeing their images reflected in the stories they read. As a former teacher and the adult and teen services manager at Morley Library in Cleveland, Ohio, Lisa has come to recognize that novels in verse are uniquely positioned to offer glimpses of diverse worlds not always seen or consistently well represented in other fictional genres. In her book, Novels in Verse for Teens, Lisa not only explores how verse novels make a great fit for teens and reluctant readers, but also comes up with a vast array of educational activities that are custom fitted to a hand-selected list of verse novels. We had the opportunity to speak recently with Lisa, and here is what she had to say about her work and the importance of diversity in storytelling.

You dedicate this book to "marginalized teens and reluctant readers everywhere." Why verse novels for marginalized teens and reluctant readers? What is it about the genre that works uniquely well for these groups?

I served two years on YALSA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers committee, and I found that one of the biggest reasons teens may be reluctant readers is because they have not yet found books that reflect their life experiences. Rudine Sims Bishop's Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors (1990) was my personal guideline. I was determined to find books for this list that teens from all different types of backgrounds could identify with. Teens in marginalized demographics encompassing race, LGBTQ+, mental illness, religious diversity, disabilities, foster care, and more deserve to see themselves reflected in books, too. Another big reason novels in verse work well for reluctant readers has to do with the physicality of the book. With more white space and fewer words per page and font that varies in size, style, or format, they can be more appealing to teens who may be intimidated by too many words on the page.

The voice in verse novels is generally a first person narrative, which invites the reader into the life of the protagonist. The short lines of verse can be rhythmic, almost asking the reader to "hear" the speaker. This lends itself to addressing topics that can be deep or emotionally intense. The white space on the pages of novels in verse can be thought of as a silence to be filled in by the reader's imagination. Former Poet Laureate Rita Dove describes this beautifully: "Verse novels offer the weight of each word, the weight of the sentence, the weight of the line, the weight of white space, heightened attention to sound, and deep allegiance to silence."

In your book you mention the dangers associated with presenting single-story narratives, which is a story that represents a single voice or perspective. What problems or risks are involved in this? And how does this relate back to what the verse novel stands for?

Scholars Sandra Hughes-Hassell, Dr. Kim Parker, and Tricia Ebarvia are all cited in my book for their work on the value of avoiding the single narrative through counterstories. Teens whose stories have typically gone unheard or who have been underrepresented can see themselves in varied counterstories. On the flip side, those who have grown up with privilege can raise their awareness of inequalities experienced by marginalized and oppressed peoples by reading multiple perspectives. A single narrative can also depict stereotypes, which are an incomplete representation and make one story seem like the only story. Counterstories can help fight bias and hate by seeing and valuing teens who may otherwise feel erased by the dominant culture. I also recommend listening to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk, "The Danger of a Single Story".

Talk more about the novel in verse and its relationship to building empathy. How does this work?

The representation and voice in verse novels can help students connect and can provide accessibility and inclusivity where some canonical texts have failed. This can lead to productive discussions that challenge prejudices and stereotyping.

The vast majority of this book has you pairing novels in verse with classroom activities. You call this "the fun part." Do you have a favorite book-activity pairing?

Hmm, that is a tough question! There are so many that I love, but I think Kwame Alexander's Solo (Blink 2017) combined with the clerihew activity can be hilarious. A clerihew is a poem that basically roasts someone in a funny way – especially celebrities. Teens can have a lot of fun with that.

I personally really like the fact that so many of these activities require students to create their own poetry! Is poetry a favorite subject for you, or for educators, or for students? All of the above?

Honestly, I was never a huge poetry person until I got into novels in verse. I think, for me, the difference of the verse novels continuing the narrative versus poems with individual sentiments is a draw. I suspect that teachers and students will be drawn in as well.

Anything else you'd like to mention that we haven't covered?

I created this book to make it easy for teachers and librarians to pair kids with books. There is a content tag index included so that a particular interest or identity can be looked up and a corresponding novel in verse suggested. Additionally, I included Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and American Association of School Librarians (AASL) standards for each book to make lesson planning easier.

We loved meeting Lisa Krok and discussing her fine work! For more information about Novels in Verse for Teens: A Guidebook with Activities for Teachers and Librarians visit Libraries Unlimited: https://products.abc-clio.com/abc-cliocorporate/product.aspx?pc=A6265P