Top 10: Books Included If I Taught YA POETICS

I’m going to start off by saying, the last couple weeks we have been doing MAJOR home renos and thus last week I took a slight hiatus from TTT and BTT. But I should be back for good (hopefully–my last semester of college began yesterday so I’m praying life doesn’t get too intense).

In my hypothetical Top Ten World, I like to think I could teach a rocking poetry class. Now if we were being realistic…I’d have to go with something along the lines of EMOTIONAL YA or LOVE IN YA…because let’s be honest, I love a great love story. As long as we are being realistic–although I am an English Major, I have little to no interest in becoming any sort of teacher. But all that aside–I’m dreaming up a situation where I could teach poetry. So each of these titles are books I would include on my syllabus should I find myself teaching a course on poetry in YA. Either I find the writing somewhat poetic, or poetry is a major theme throughout the novel…they have found their way onto my list. Enjoy!

So much thanks to the ladies at The Broke and The Bookish for hosting us crazy bloggers each week!

1. And We Stay by: Jenny Hubbard I just finished this one for none other than my Adolescent Lit class, and I couldn’t not include it. It’s beautifully written and our main character, Emily, has an obsession/serious connection with Emily Dickenson and a wicked talent for writing poetry.

I am just a girl on Earth
Who writes her heart and brain.
The world makes me a Poet;
the world Gives me a name.

2. Matched Trilogy by: Ally Condie This world where paper isn’t even close to permanent, and words are whispers in the wind, it has so much poetic back stories and meaning implemented. Definite winner.

The Pilot. The Poet. The Physic.

They are in all of us. I believe this. That every person might have a way to fly, a line of poetry to put down for others to see, a hand to heal.

3. Elevated by: Elana Johnson One of the few books I’ve read that is written in verse (one of the first actually), and I fell in love with it in a matter of pages.

The lights disappear,
The elevator shudders,
Stalls,
Quits.
All in the same nanosecond.

All that exists is darkness so thick I can’t think,
And Travis so close I can’t breath.

4. Waiting by: Carol Lynch Williams London’s story was so jarring and traumatizing, and the style fit perfectly. It made the tale so gut wrenching.

An accident you’re in? It marks you on the outside, maybe. Scars your face or your skin-breaks bones,crushes skulls,leaves the body changed.

An accident witnessed? You’re different on the inside. Maybe there’s no cut someone else can see, but there’re always injuries on the inside.

Those take a long time to heal.

5. Delirium Series by: Lauren Oliver My last on the list is Lauren Oliver’s Delirium Trilogy. Lauren’s writing in itself is gorgeous and phenomenal. A few of her lines still bring me to tears. Sometimes you can have poetry in your words, and not be in verse.

He who jumps may fall, but he may also fly. Its time to jump.

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