National Book Award long list for young people’s literature has a poetic touch

AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — This year’s long list of National Book Awards for young people’s literature has a poetic touch. Five of the 10 nominees announced Tuesday by the National Book Foundation are novels written in verse, including Olivia A. Coles’ “Ariel Crashing a Train” and Shifa Saltagi Safadi’s “Kareem Between,” a young Muslim’s coming-of- age story. The other novels in verse are Margarita Engle’s “Wild Dreamers,” Alicia D. Williams’ “Mid-Air” and Angela Shanté’s “The Unboxing of a Black Girl.” Throughout the week, the foundation will be unveiling longlists in five competitive categories, including poetry, nonfiction and fiction.