Some people think
we are a little bit crazy
running barefoot
through rain and mud and snow
but it doesn’t feel crazy to us
As usual, Creech’s characters are breathtaking. In Heartbeat, we meet Annie, who is surprisingly worldly for her twelve years. When asked to list her fears as part of a school assignment, Annie lists “people killing other people because our people killed their people” and is shocked to find her classmates lists filled with trivial items like algebra. Annie’s best friend, Max, is a self-described “small-town boy without a father” who runs in hopes of escaping his life and becoming a famous athlete. Grandpa, who won medals for running when he was Annie’s age, is now losing his memory and forgets that Annie’s mom is pregnant. As she anticipates the loss of her grandfather and welcomes a new sibling, Annie rediscovers the things in life that are most important to her.
Through pure coincidence, I read Heartbeat immediately after Make Lemonade. While the settings and main characters are quite different, the authors’ uses of poetic form are strikingly similar. Creech’s onomatopoeia pulls the reader right into each scene. (I bet you’ve never considered all the sources of the sound thump-thump, thump-thump!) Creech also uses footnotes to add a surprising and fun element to the story.
According to the book jacket, the book is geared toward ages 8-12, but the verse is so impressive that I recommend Heartbeat for poetry lovers well beyond that age group.
Creech, S. (2004). Heartbeat.
No comments:
Post a Comment