Book: Sharon Creech. Heartbeat. New York City: Scholastic, 2004.
Awards:
Amazon.com Customers’ Favorite
#1 Book Sense Children’s Pick
Publishers Weekly Best Book
School Library Journal Best Book
Child Magazine Best Book
People Magazine Best Kids’ Book
iParenting Media Award
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Genre: Poetry
Summary: Annie is just a girl who loves to run. She is at ease when she hears her bare feet thump-thumping on the ground. This poetic novel takes readers on a journey as Annie learns to deal with the birth of a new sibling, a moody best friend and a grandfather who seems to forget just about everything.
Audience: Grades 5-12
Themes: One of the most evident themes throughout this book is that of changes and new experiences. One of the changes throughout the entirely of the book is the change the apple goes through. This change, however, is not the most prevalent in the story. Annie has to deal with changes that come along with having a new sibling. She also has to somehow deal with her grandfather and the fact that some days he barely remembers her! Annie also has a best friend who is constantly changing. By that, I mean his mood! She is constantly trying to figure out where Max is at. Annie is the master of all change!
A second theme found throughout the book is family. Annie realizes that her family growing is not such a bad thing. Although her relationship with her parents and her grandfather change a little with this new birth, family will always play an important role in her life.
Evidence:
“...but it doesn't feel crazy to us.
It feels like what we do.”
This quote really stuck out to me. I think many people could relate to this quote. Sometimes from the outside it may seem like you are running in circles trying to make things run smoothly, while to you it is just what you do! I connected to this line immensely.
“And what did I think
when I was small
and why did I forget?
And what else will I forget
when I grow older?
And if you forget
is it as if
it never happened?
Will none of the things
you saw or thought or dreamed
matter?”
This quote was extremely poignant. Annie is going through thoughts of her grandfather in her mind. She wonders if she will one day forget all of her thoughts. It really makes you wonder if everything we go through on a daily basis will be forgotten.
Connections: I think this book could be used for a number of different situations as well as grades. Students ranging anywhere from third grade all the way to seniors in high school would benefit from reading this book. It could be used to begin a poetry unit for any of these grades. Themes of friendship, family, alzheimers and more could all be pulled from this book and used in lessons.
Reactions: I was absolutely fascinated with this book. Hands down the best one we have read in this class. It was so simple yet so meaningful. I marked a number of different passages throughout the book that stuck out to me and I will definitely use in future lessons.
Reception: "Wonderfully, inspirationally wise, luminescently funny and always, always, always emotionally resonant, Sharon Creech has created a lead character and story inHeartbeat that easily could have brought her another Newbery Honor. " -Josiah
"A sweet and heartfelt story about the questions--they seem so small and simple--we ask ourselves as we discover who we are, what we want, and where we belong..." -Francine
Links: Sharon Creech
Awards:
Amazon.com Customers’ Favorite
#1 Book Sense Children’s Pick
Publishers Weekly Best Book
School Library Journal Best Book
Child Magazine Best Book
People Magazine Best Kids’ Book
iParenting Media Award
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
Genre: Poetry
Summary: Annie is just a girl who loves to run. She is at ease when she hears her bare feet thump-thumping on the ground. This poetic novel takes readers on a journey as Annie learns to deal with the birth of a new sibling, a moody best friend and a grandfather who seems to forget just about everything.
Audience: Grades 5-12
Themes: One of the most evident themes throughout this book is that of changes and new experiences. One of the changes throughout the entirely of the book is the change the apple goes through. This change, however, is not the most prevalent in the story. Annie has to deal with changes that come along with having a new sibling. She also has to somehow deal with her grandfather and the fact that some days he barely remembers her! Annie also has a best friend who is constantly changing. By that, I mean his mood! She is constantly trying to figure out where Max is at. Annie is the master of all change!
A second theme found throughout the book is family. Annie realizes that her family growing is not such a bad thing. Although her relationship with her parents and her grandfather change a little with this new birth, family will always play an important role in her life.
Evidence:
“...but it doesn't feel crazy to us.
It feels like what we do.”
This quote really stuck out to me. I think many people could relate to this quote. Sometimes from the outside it may seem like you are running in circles trying to make things run smoothly, while to you it is just what you do! I connected to this line immensely.
“And what did I think
when I was small
and why did I forget?
And what else will I forget
when I grow older?
And if you forget
is it as if
it never happened?
Will none of the things
you saw or thought or dreamed
matter?”
This quote was extremely poignant. Annie is going through thoughts of her grandfather in her mind. She wonders if she will one day forget all of her thoughts. It really makes you wonder if everything we go through on a daily basis will be forgotten.
Connections: I think this book could be used for a number of different situations as well as grades. Students ranging anywhere from third grade all the way to seniors in high school would benefit from reading this book. It could be used to begin a poetry unit for any of these grades. Themes of friendship, family, alzheimers and more could all be pulled from this book and used in lessons.
Reactions: I was absolutely fascinated with this book. Hands down the best one we have read in this class. It was so simple yet so meaningful. I marked a number of different passages throughout the book that stuck out to me and I will definitely use in future lessons.
Reception: "Wonderfully, inspirationally wise, luminescently funny and always, always, always emotionally resonant, Sharon Creech has created a lead character and story inHeartbeat that easily could have brought her another Newbery Honor. " -Josiah
"A sweet and heartfelt story about the questions--they seem so small and simple--we ask ourselves as we discover who we are, what we want, and where we belong..." -Francine
Links: Sharon Creech