Children's book recommendations Teenagers reading

Loved The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow? Check out these fantastic verse novels

Mar 12, 2025

We're huge fans of verse novels here at Parrot Street Book Club. The blend of prose and poetry is so powerful - conveying complex emotion and storytelling in an exciting and intense way.

We're thrilled by the runaway recent success of The Final Year by poet Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton and published by small, independent publisher Otter-Barry books. It follows 10-year-old Nate as he transitions to high school - a challenging experience that so many young readers will relate to.

If you loved The Final Year, we think you'd also enjoy checking out these similarly amazing verse novels...

Cover of The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon

The Way of Dog

This tender animal adventure, written by Zana Fraillon and illustrated by Sean Buckingham is perfect for readers aged 8 and up. Orphan puppy Scruffity yearns for Family – and when he is set free by a boy as unwanted and lonely as he is, his dream is fulfilled. But when tragedy strikes, Scruffity is alone again. How does a dog find his way home when he never had one to begin with?

Wild East

We chose this powerful coming of age story for our Macaw subscribers in August 2024. When fourteen-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move out of London. In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggles to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper.

But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before. Rap is like spoken word, bars equal poetry – and maybe the combination of both could be the key to achieving his dreams?

The Hidden Story of Estie Noor by Nadine Aisha Jassat

The Hidden Story of Estie Noor

This is an enchanting mystery story for readers aged 8 and up. When twelve-year-old Estie is expelled from school, she's sent to stay with her aunt in Scotland over the summer. When she comes across an intricately folded paper castle with a secret message written inside Estie can't help but follow the clues to the next piece of artwork. Who are these messages from? And what will their secret reveal about the town?

Cover of The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

The Door of No Return

This breathtaking novel by Kwame Alexander was one of our October boxes for Macaw subscribers. It's a beautifully written, lyrical coming-of-age story set in West Africa in 1860. We read it cover-to-cover in one sitting and can confidently say it's one of the best things we've read all year.

Cover of The Bones of Me by Kel Duckworth

The Bones of Me

This thrilling, lyrical and original book by Kel Duckworth switches between verse and prose and was an instant hit with Macaw subscribers (aged 12 to 14) when we included it in our boxes.

Molly dreams of being a boxer just like her older brother Denny. When he agrees to train her, she couldn't be more excited. But one night everything changes. There's an assault outside the boxing club, Denny's nowhere to be found and the police are after him. Molly must prove her brother's innocence and delve into the underbelly of East London, and her family history, where new and old secrets are revealed...

Cover of The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X

This thrilling, award-winning novel by Elizabeth Acevedo is totally unputdownable YA read for teens and adults alike. Xiomara has always kept her words to herself. When it comes to standing her ground in her Harlem neighbourhood, she lets her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But X has secrets – her feelings for a boy in her bio class, and the notebook full of poems that she keeps under her bed. And a slam poetry club that will pull those secrets into the spotlight.

Cover of Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Punching the Air

Award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam created this powerful YA novel about a boy who is wrongfully incarcerated. When 16-year-old Amal Shahid is sent to prison despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it?

Cover of The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover

This award-winning verse novel by Kwame Alexander tells the story of 12-year-old Josh and his twin Jordan, who both have basketball in their blood. They’re kings of the court, star players for their school team. Their father used to be a champion player and they each want nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. Both on and off the court, there is conflict and hardship which will test the brothers' bond.

Though we don't hold all these titles in our bookshop currently, we're always happy to order them in for you. Simply drop us an email and we can take it from there!

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