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Quick answer: If you loved The Poet X, read Elizabeth Acevedo's Clap When You Land and With the Fire on High, then Long Way Down, Brown Girl Dreaming and The Crossover. All are powerful young adult novels told in verse or in voices that cut straight to the heart.
Elizabeth Acevedo's 2018 debut is a novel in verse about Xiomara Batista, a Harlem teenager who finds her voice through slam poetry while dealing with her strict mother and her own changing body. It won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. The books below share its poetry, honesty and strong young voices.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clap When You Land | Elizabeth Acevedo | Teen | more Acevedo |
| With the Fire on High | Elizabeth Acevedo | Teen | food and family |
| Long Way Down | Jason Reynolds | Teen | verse novel |
| Brown Girl Dreaming | Jacqueline Woodson | Teen | memoir in verse |
| The Crossover | Kwame Alexander | Ages 10-14 | basketball verse |
| Solo | Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess | Teen | music and family |
| Crank | Ellen Hopkins | Teen | addiction in verse |
| Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse | Ages 10-14 | Dust Bowl |
| Inside Out & Back Again | Thanhha Lai | Ages 9-13 | refugee verse |
| Punching the Air | Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam | Teen | verse novel |
| Dear Martin | Nic Stone | Teen | letters and race |
| The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas | Teen | activism and loss |
| I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter | Erika L. Sanchez | Teen | grief and family |
| Piecing Me Together | Renee Watson | Teen | identity |
| Milk and Honey | Rupi Kaur | Adult | short poems |
1. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Two sisters learn of each other after their father dies in a plane crash. A moving verse novel.
Best for: more Acevedo.
2. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
A teen mother dreams of becoming a chef. Warm and lively.
Best for: food and family.
3. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
A teenager takes an elevator ride that changes everything. Fast, poetic and powerful.
Best for: verse novel.
4. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Woodson recalls her childhood in free verse. Gentle and lyrical.
Best for: memoir in verse.
5. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Twin brothers face rivalry and loss on and off the court. Rhythmic and moving.
Best for: basketball verse.
6. Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess
A rock star's son uncovers family secrets. Poetic and fast.
Best for: music and family.
7. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
A girl falls into addiction. Raw and harrowing.
Best for: addiction in verse.
8. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
A girl lives through drought and loss in Oklahoma. A Newbery winner told in free verse.
Best for: Dust Bowl.
9. Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
A girl flees Vietnam and starts over in Alabama. Simple and moving.
Best for: refugee verse.
10. Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
A wrongfully accused teenager finds poetry and hope. Co-written by one of the Exonerated Five.
Best for: verse novel.
11. Dear Martin by Nic Stone
A student writes letters to Dr. King after a traumatic encounter. Short and sharp.
Best for: letters and race.
12. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Starr witnesses a police shooting and finds her voice. A modern classic of young adult fiction.
Best for: activism and loss.
13. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
A girl struggles after her sister's death. Honest and angry.
Best for: grief and family.
14. Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
A talented teenager navigates a mentoring program. Smart and heartfelt.
Best for: identity.
15. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
A bestselling poetry collection about healing and love. Short and easy to read.
Best for: short poems.
How to Choose
For more Acevedo choose Clap When You Land or With the Fire on High. For verse novels pick Long Way Down, Brown Girl Dreaming or The Crossover. For young voices facing injustice read Dear Martin, The Hate U Give or Punching the Air. For poetry itself try Milk and Honey. Verse novels read fast, so they are good for readers who think they don't like long books. The Poet X also exists as an audiobook read by Acevedo herself, and it is often described as one of the best audiobook performances in young adult fiction. If you are new to verse novels, start with Long Way Down or The Crossover, which are short and fast. If you want the lyrical memoir feel, read Brown Girl Dreaming. If you want a story about family and identity, choose Clap When You Land. Reading verse aloud brings out its rhythm, and many of these have strong audiobooks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Poet X about?
Xiomara, a Harlem teen, discovers slam poetry as a way to speak up.
Who wrote it?
Elizabeth Acevedo.
When was it published?
2018.
Did it win a prize?
Yes, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the Carnegie Medal.
Is it a novel or poetry?
A novel told in verse.
What age is it for?
Teens, usually ages 14 and up.
Does it have mature themes?
Yes, including sexuality and family conflict.
What should I read next?
Try Clap When You Land.
Is The Poet X suitable for school?
It is widely used in classrooms, though it deals with mature topics, so teachers often review it first.
What is slam poetry?
Performance poetry that mixes writing and spoken delivery, often in competitions.