{"product_id":"sweeping-up-the-heart-isbn-9780062852564","title":"Sweeping Up the Heart","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom two-time Newbery Honor and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e–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\/b\u003e\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, \u003ci\u003eSweeping Up the Heart\u003c\/i\u003e 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\u003eOne boring spring break. A new friend. And a mystery that could change everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn Unlikely Friendship:\u003c\/b\u003e Amelia has only ever had girl friends. Casey is creative, funny, and maybe a little bit crazy—and he’s about to turn her boring spring break upside down.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eDealing with Grief:\u003c\/b\u003e Ten years after her mother's death, Amelia is still navigating life with her quiet, melancholy father. This gentle story explores how families process loss in their own unique ways.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFinding a Voice Through Art:\u003c\/b\u003e When words fail, Amelia turns to her clay sculptures. She channels her feelings into a menagerie of clay rabbits, discovering her talent and herself in the process.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFamily Secrets:\u003c\/b\u003e The search for Amelia’s mother’s spirit uncovers a different kind of secret—one that involves her father and a mysterious woman who looks startlingly familiar.\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":44888959844581,"sku":"NP9780062852564","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062852564.jpg?v=1730230186","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/sweeping-up-the-heart-isbn-9780062852564","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}