{"product_id":"sweeping-up-the-heart-isbn-9780062852540","title":"Sweeping Up the Heart","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom two-time Newbery Honor and New York Times–bestselling author Kevin Henkes, this timeless novel about loss, loneliness, and friendship tells the story of the spring break that changes seventh-grader Amelia Albright’s life forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmelia Albright dreams about going to Florida for spring break like everyone else in her class, but her father—a cranky and stubborn English professor—has decided Florida is too much adventure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow Amelia is stuck at home with him and her babysitter, the beloved Mrs. O’Brien. The week ahead promises to be boring, until Amelia meets Casey at her neighborhood art studio. Amelia has never been friends with a boy before, and the experience is both fraught and thrilling. When Casey claims to see the spirit of Amelia’s mother (who died ten years before), the pair embarks on an altogether different journey in their attempt to find her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUsing crisp, lyrical, literary writing and moments of humor and truth, award-winning author Kevin Henkes deftly captures how it feels to be almost thirteen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith themes of family, death, grief, creativity, and loyalty, Sweeping Up the Heart is for readers of Kate DiCamillo, Rebecca Stead, Lauren Wolk, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, and Pam Muñoz Ryan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat happens when your first friend is a boy who claims he can see your mother’s ghost?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFirst Friendship with a Boy:\u003c\/b\u003e Amelia has never been friends with a boy before. Meeting Casey at the art studio is thrilling, confusing, and might be exactly what she needs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGrief and Healing:\u003c\/b\u003e For years, Amelia has lived with the quiet loneliness of losing a mother she can’t remember. But Casey’s strange claim opens a door she never thought to knock on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn Unforgettable Mystery:\u003c\/b\u003e Is the woman Casey sees a ghost, a stranger, or something else entirely? Their search for the truth will test their new friendship and everything Amelia believes about her family.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Power of Art:\u003c\/b\u003e The clay studio is Amelia’s safe haven, a place where she can shape her world. It’s where her journey begins and where she discovers she’s not as alone as she thought.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Captured on the threshold of puberty’s tumultuous changes, Amelia and Casey quiver with hope and longing. Like a Chinese brush painting made of words, this short novel distills the slow-building impatience of early adolescence down to its essence—not much happens, yet everything does. . . . Spare, luminous, lovely.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Amelia is a winning character: a dreamy, old soul who perfectly displays the naivety and the wisdom of growing up. Humor and lyrical language buoy the . . . narrative. Henkes’s latest story is, like most life changes, quiet yet momentous.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eALA Booklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Henkes writes in still pools with occasional ripples, a clarity of approach that gives his writing immediacy along with precision. . .Readers will sympathize with [Amelia] as she negotiates some complicated human dynamics and comes out with more understanding.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBulletin of the Center for Children’s Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Henkes is the master of quiet yet potent observation, and this slender novel sensitively maps the heart of a girl on the cusp of ‘whatever was still to come.’” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCleveland Plain Dealer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In that confusing space between childhood and adulthood, Amelia finds comfort in talking to her beloved stuffed lamb even as she experiences her first crush and wonders ‘what kind of woman she would be when she grew up.’ The week’s cheerlessness morphs into something complex and important.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHorn Book (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A stunning realistic fiction novel, Amelia’s story is woven tightly with themes of friendship, grief, and love. In his signature classic style, Henkes perfectly captures the hope paramount to the youthful heart, while honoring difficult themes. . . [A] smooth, compact, emotionally nuanced novel with relatable characters.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A shimmering novel that touches on human frailty, the consolations of art, and the mysteries of growing up.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Henkes’s profound understanding of the adolescent heart and mind is evident . . . In economic prose, Henkes evokes the complexity of his characters’ emotions and relationships, and offers a feel-good resolution.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Deeply felt. . .moving and satisfying, and the book ends with a feeling of revelation and rebirth. . .and an utterly perfect final sentence.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Greenwillow Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888959811813,"sku":"NP9780062852540","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062852540.jpg?v=1730230187","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/sweeping-up-the-heart-isbn-9780062852540","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}