Worse Things by Sally Murphy illustrated by Sarah Davis

Using alternating voices Blake, Jolene and Ahmed share with readers the ups and downs of their daily lives. Blake is a sports star but he now finds himeself on the bench because of a broken arm. Blake feels alone for the first time in his life. He no longer 'fits in'. Jolene is being pressured by her mother to become a hockey star but Jolene does not like hockey. All she wants is for her father, who is a doctor working far away, to come home and spend time with the family. She also wishes her mother would listen and not expect Jolene to fulfill her mother's failed childhood dream. Amed is new. He is a refugee kid with very limited English. Amed would like a friend and he would like to play sport but for him this sport is played with a different ball. For now he quietly observes Blake, who is forced to watch the footy from the sidelines, and Jolene who excels at hockey but who does not seem happy.

Between each voice Sally Murphy supplies some definitions. Here is an example:

ALONE
[uh*lone] (adj.)
Single
sole
solitary
separate
sad.
Set apart
unattached
unaided
unassisted
Un-together.

If I was still working in a school library I would ask my students what they think about this cover. For myself I have walked past this book several times because the cover did not appeal to me. This is a pity because inside this cover is a splendid verse novel. I am not the demographic for this book, however, and that is why I would like to know what readers aged 10+ think about the cover and whether it entices them to pick up Worse Things. (Yes you should pick up Worse Things - it is terrific)

"… this verse novel is stunning in every way.  It is an experience not to be missed. Children’s Book Review"

In this blog post Sally Murphy talks about the cover design, and she reads extracts from her book. 

Here is an interview by Joy Lawn for Paperbark Words. And here is a very detailed set of teaching notes from the publisher Walker Books. These notes also include an extensive list of other terrific verse novels. Click the link on my sidebar for other books in this form.

Here are some other verse novels by Sally Murphy:

Pearl verses the world

Toppling