Heartbeat by Sharon Creech

I do not really like running, but I do like the idea of running.  I am not a very good runner, but I can certainly understand the way that Annie feels about it.  She loves running.  This is different from liking something.  Liking is for things like weekends and televisions.  Loving is for things like her grandpa, laughter, and running.  She is not running in order to get somewhere, like her best friend Max.  Annie likes to run barefoot through the town and park where she feels free.  Sometimes I want to break out in a run for these very same reasons.  Some people feel this way when they paint or write or sing or swing a baseball bat.  We all need something, though that lets us free our minds and focus on what is important.

Max is Annie's best friend and running partner, her "sideways shadow."  Though he runs barefoot, too, he runs for completely different reasons.  For Max, his running feet are his tickets out of town.  He wants to make it big, and running is how he plans to do it.  He wants Annie to join the track team with him, but she can't see the point in running around in circles ... in a "herd"... with shoes on ... just to win a medal.

Annie's 7th grade school year is full of changing relationships.  Her relationship with Max is strained over their different viewpoints; her relationship with her grandfather shifts as he begins to lose his memory; her family relationships change as a new baby is welcomed into their home.  Her relationship with running, though, remains constant, keeping her heart strong no matter what changes she may face.  Heartbeat is a novel in verse that lets you run right along side Annie through all the hills and valleys of her 7th grade year.

(c) 2004          Publisher:  Harper Collins          Pages:  180

Hate That Cat by Shannon Creech

Jack is a dog kind of person.  He wants nothing to do with the creepy black cat that is sometimes waiting at his bus stop.  Once he gets to school his teacher, Mrs. Stretchberry, is going to spend the whole year on poetry.  I know that some of you may be smiling now, but many of you may be saying "Ugh!  That poor, poor boy."  Writing may not be Jack's favorite activity, but this year he has to write letters to his Language Arts teacher about what they are learning.  This book is made up entirely of Jack's letters.  Don't worry - you don't have to read the teacher's letters at all!  In the book, Jack explains that he doesn't like writing long lines, just short ones, so that's what he does.  Some times lines have just
one
                                        word
                                                   at
                                                         a
                                                                 time.
As Jack's random thoughts enter his letters you learn a lot about him.  He loves dogs.  His mother is deaf.  He hates cats.  Even thought his letters are written to a teacher, they are funny and sound like you are listening to one of your friends.  You will like this book if you like poetry, but you will also really like this book if you are afraid of poetry.  This would be an easy book to read over a weekend, or maybe in just one night!  I hope that you give it a shot.

Stats:
(c)  2008           Publisher:  HarperCollins            Number of Pages:  160