Heartbeat

Creech, Sharon. Harper Trophy (September 27, 2005).
*Appropriate for grades 4-7*

This verse novel tells us what life is like for twelve-year-old Annie. Growing up in a small town isn't easy for her best friend, Max. Once a trophy-winning runner, her beloved grandfather is just waiting to "kick the bucket" as he slips into dementia. Annie's mom and dad are expecting a baby any day now, and she will be a big sister for the first time. The girls' track coach is pestering Annie to join the team, but she struggles to stay true to herself: to run for the pure joy of it. Annie also loves to draw, and is given a unique assignment in art class: to create 100 versions of an apple. Annie begins to see the apple, as well as her life, a little bit differently each day.

• A great companion to Love That Dog, Heartbeat can be used as an introduction to free-verse poetry in the classroom.
  
• This is also a wonderful text for discussing the life cycle: the seed becomes the apple, which becomes the core, which becomes the seed again.
  
• Elaborative detail lends itself to lessons on visualization.