Heartbeat

Heartbeat is a story about a girl named Annie who loves to run. She loves to feel her heartbeat (thump-thump, thump-thump), and feel her feet on the pavement (slap-slap, slap-slap). She runs with her friend Max, silent but strong. And he wants to run track, but doesn't have the shoes. Annie's mom is going to have a baby, and that baby has a heartbeat too (a-woosh-a, a-woosh-a). Her grandfather is changing, the apple she is assigned to draw for 100 days is changing, her mother is changing, and, inside, the baby is changing. Max is more intense and moody-changing. And Annie is, too, her heart is, but she just doesn't know yet. Sharon Creech made this book so interesting by having it in poetic form. It was a wonderful story, and I recommend it for third to fifth graders.