Heartbeat

by

Sharon Creech

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech masterfully weaves this story about a young girl beginning to understand the many rhythms of life and how she fits within them.

Comprehension Questions

1. On page 3, Max says he is in training to escape. What do you think he wants to escape from? How will running help him achieve his goal?

2. In the poem "Grandpa" on page 9, Annie's grandfather says he didn't want the trophy and that it was a silly thing. Why do you think he feels this way?

3. Annie writes a poem about things she fears and things she loves on pages 32 through 36. Discuss her list and how you would change it to make it even more universal.

4. Annie and Max have different views about running and what it means to be on a team. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being on a school team.

5. Annie's grandfather is losing his memory and forgetting much of what happened to him in life. This concerns Annie, so she poses the question, "And if you forget is it as if it never happened?" (p. 43). How would you answer this question?

6. A best friend is often hard to come by, but Annie knows Max is her friend. On page 50 she says, "…and I like this about Max that I do not have to explain." What makes this a likable characteristic?

7. Annie feels fortunate to have her family, but Max thinks Annie is spoiled because she has two parents and a grandpa (p. 12). Why do Annie's and Max's attitudes toward family differ?

8. Even though his mind is losing sharpness, Annie's grandfather helps her with her problems and builds a relationship with Max. What benefits do Annie and Max receive from the relationship? How do these relationship benefit Annie's grandfather?

9. Annie not only learns a lot about herself, but she begins to understand the effect people and situations can have on a person; that every experience molds a person to be something. She asks Max, "Why are we here on this earth?" (p. 27) Do you think Annie discovers the answer to her question by the end of the book? Why or why not?

10. Max and the girls' track coach are convinced Annie does not want to join the team because she is afraid, which is not the real reason. Based on her thoughts as revealed on pages 70 and 83, and on Grandpa's secret revealed on page 172, how would you explain her decision to them?

11. Annie must deal with several major changes in a short period of time. Discuss ways in which Annie's life will change because of her new brother Joey?

12. In the poem "Infinitely Joey" on page 158, Annie ponders the promise and uncertainty of life. How would you respond to her questions and thoughts? How do your views relate to her views? What would you add or take away from this poem?

13. Annie considers the fact that she does not like to be wrong "a serious character flaw" (page 115). Do you agree with her? Why or why not?

14. When Annie overhears other girls talking about Max and their feelings for him, she realizes that she is not ready to think of him "that way" (page 177). Why do you think she wants him "to stay Max my same moody Max" (page 178)?

15. Annie's final drawing of her apple is a seed. What does this symbolize? How does it relate to the changes in her family?

Enrichment Activities

Role Playing

This exercise will get you into the nitty gritty of the story! First, select one character from the book, and write down three to five questions that you would like to ask that character.

Next, pair off with a classmate who has questions for a different character, and begin the role play. For example, say Student A has questions to ask Max. His partner, Student B, will role play Max and answer the questions. Then Student B will ask his questions about Annie, and Student A will answer them.

Letter Writing

Write a letter to Grandpa. Say and ask whatever you like. Share the letter with the rest of the class, if they feel comfortable doing that.

Quiz for girls only.

Click here for the quiz.

Resources

Sharon Creech Website

Learn all about Sharon Creech by visiting her website.

Editorial Review

Read an editorial review.

Adèle Geras

Adèle Geras writes about Heartbeat in The Guardian on Saturday June 5, 2004

Verse novels are risky. True, they are, in the hands of a good writer like Creech, both elegant and economical. They tell a story in snapshots. They manage to pack a lot of emotion into a very short space. They get to the point and don't waste time on descriptions, which seem to annoy a lot of young readers. There are places where the individual poem seems to be no more than a piece of prose cut up into short lines, but for the most part, they work well. Sometimes, they tread a very fine line between the cheesy and the touching. Creech, however, rarely falls into sentimentality. Her description of childbirth is very good, and will, as a bonus, teach young people what to expect. She even manages to be funny about it: "The baby has perfect hands and feet and / fingers and toes and ears / and eyes and nose / (and it is a human baby / which is a great relief)". Annie used to think of the baby as "alien baby", but the feeling she expresses, of huge relief that all is well, will be instantly recognised by every new parent.

Most of the poems are very short. The ground is covered swiftly, as befits a novel with running as its theme. It's enjoyable and well constructed. It will encourage young readers to put their own emotions into words precisely because the form is so much less daunting than thickets of dense prose.