Heartbeat, in my opinion, was one of the most amazing and astonishing books that i have ever read. The writing style veered from the regular and the emotion that was weaved throughout each poem was so diverse. I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone.
First of all, how Sharon Creech wrote the book was astonishing; set aside from all of the other great characteristics of this book-the writing style was the best and most creative. How she wrote all of the thoughts, dialogue, expressions, and experiences in poetry was innovative within it self. As i have said before, it was extremely effortless to connect to this book because i love to write poetry and i understand how she Incorporated and flowed the emotion throughout each poem. Even if you are not interested in writing or reading, i would still absolutely recommend this book to everyone.
Secondly, Creech Incorporated Annie's (the main character's) thoughts and feelings throughout each strong experience. That way, it was extremely easy for anyone to connect to what was occurring in the story. She also included a wide range of vocabulary and ingeniously mingled them within the story line, as if Annie was widening and stepping-up her vocabulary every time she wrote a new poem.
I would strongly recommend Heartbeat to all because of it's connectivity to the reader, innovative, and expressional writing style and events.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Section 3: Thoughts (Pg. 120 - end)
Cover Thoughts: Part 2
I was continually confused about what the cover meant, ever since i first began reading. The title, Heartbeat, to me, did not seem to connect with what the picture was - an apple. However, after reading further into the book, i conclusively found the answer. In the third section, when Annie's mother was pregnant, she was able to hear the heartbeat of her up-coming sibling, which was extremely meaningful to hear. However, throughout the story, Annie used to run and keep track of her heartbeat's steps and the synchronisation of her strides and her beat. Since running was so small, and the baby's heartbeat was so meaningful, it showed how a heartbeat could become so important at times (like the first time of hearing the baby's) but it can also be incorporated in something so small (like running and the synchronized rhythm of her feet and heartbeat). Something as simple as a heartbeat gained importance in this book - from Annie hearing the heart of a baby to hearing her own and noticing that the beat that is all throughout her surroundings. I finally knew that Heartbeat was the chosen title because heartbeats and rhythms seemed to be strewn throughout Annie's life. I noticed how a simple heartbeat was made so significant in the story, in the essential parts and even in the insignificant parts.
I was continually confused about what the cover meant, ever since i first began reading. The title, Heartbeat, to me, did not seem to connect with what the picture was - an apple. However, after reading further into the book, i conclusively found the answer. In the third section, when Annie's mother was pregnant, she was able to hear the heartbeat of her up-coming sibling, which was extremely meaningful to hear. However, throughout the story, Annie used to run and keep track of her heartbeat's steps and the synchronisation of her strides and her beat. Since running was so small, and the baby's heartbeat was so meaningful, it showed how a heartbeat could become so important at times (like the first time of hearing the baby's) but it can also be incorporated in something so small (like running and the synchronized rhythm of her feet and heartbeat). Something as simple as a heartbeat gained importance in this book - from Annie hearing the heart of a baby to hearing her own and noticing that the beat that is all throughout her surroundings. I finally knew that Heartbeat was the chosen title because heartbeats and rhythms seemed to be strewn throughout Annie's life. I noticed how a simple heartbeat was made so significant in the story, in the essential parts and even in the insignificant parts.
Section 3: Thoughts (Pg. 120 - end)
Cover Thoughts: Part 1
This section extraordinarily answered the questions that had popped up throughout the book. When i began reading Heartbeat, i always wanted to know the meaning behind the cover. I never truly knew why there was an apple on the front and I was sure that a heartbeat and an apple didn't go together, until i read on. I've noticed how much Annie has come to appreciate the little, everyday details that lurk around her. Now she has taken into consideration that the seemingly "meaningless" things that surround her can become more eloquent, even more than one could imagine. She first discovered this concept when she received the apple drawing project in art. Annie looked at the same apple so many different ways - as it first struck her vision in the art room until it wilted away from the bites of her grandfather. However, every time seemed different to her and i noticed that she took something so small - such as an apple - and turned it into something worth going deeper into. After discovering how intricate and deep Annie was, i finally knew what the apple on the front represented: that life could be as simple as an apple and that you could take something so simple and make it so intricate - like Annie did. You can take life and look at it in the same way, every day, or you can take it and turn it every which way to look deeper into it and understand how intricate and meaningful it can be.
This section extraordinarily answered the questions that had popped up throughout the book. When i began reading Heartbeat, i always wanted to know the meaning behind the cover. I never truly knew why there was an apple on the front and I was sure that a heartbeat and an apple didn't go together, until i read on. I've noticed how much Annie has come to appreciate the little, everyday details that lurk around her. Now she has taken into consideration that the seemingly "meaningless" things that surround her can become more eloquent, even more than one could imagine. She first discovered this concept when she received the apple drawing project in art. Annie looked at the same apple so many different ways - as it first struck her vision in the art room until it wilted away from the bites of her grandfather. However, every time seemed different to her and i noticed that she took something so small - such as an apple - and turned it into something worth going deeper into. After discovering how intricate and deep Annie was, i finally knew what the apple on the front represented: that life could be as simple as an apple and that you could take something so simple and make it so intricate - like Annie did. You can take life and look at it in the same way, every day, or you can take it and turn it every which way to look deeper into it and understand how intricate and meaningful it can be.
Section 3: Thoughts (Pg. 120 - end)
Connection: part 2
Robert Frost also created another outstanding poem called, "Tree At My Window" which clearly shows how he took a tree and added personification to it. He made the tree something worth communicating with, connecting with, or thinking about, even thought it was a measly tree outside his window (you can also see this poem at the bottom). Just like Frost, Annie took the apple and appreciated it, even when it was wilting away and as it's image slipped beneath her grasp. It seems as if she connected the apple to everything and everyone around her, ever since she first began the art project. She acted as if the apple was like her grandfather - as he slowly wilts away, so does the apple, but she continually cherished them as if they were here to stay for the longest time.
Robert Frost also created another outstanding poem called, "Tree At My Window" which clearly shows how he took a tree and added personification to it. He made the tree something worth communicating with, connecting with, or thinking about, even thought it was a measly tree outside his window (you can also see this poem at the bottom). Just like Frost, Annie took the apple and appreciated it, even when it was wilting away and as it's image slipped beneath her grasp. It seems as if she connected the apple to everything and everyone around her, ever since she first began the art project. She acted as if the apple was like her grandfather - as he slowly wilts away, so does the apple, but she continually cherished them as if they were here to stay for the longest time.
Section 3: Thoughts (Pg. 120 - end)
Connection: part 1
This passage phenomenally brought out a different side of Annie and changed my interpretations of her. After reading this section, i noticed how similar Annie is to Robert Frost - a famous poet. All of his poems astoundingly represent what Annie noticed about life. Each of his poems pin-point how to take the small details in life, and make them something larger and more important than what they are known to be. Annie and Robert Frost remarkably show how you can change something, as small as an apple or as simple as a snow-covered hilltop, and extract everything from their simple but intricate details. Robert Frost, in one of his poems called "The Sound of the Trees", connects the trees to his life, as if they are more meaningful and majestic than just leaves and bark (you can read the full poem at the bottom of my blog). He visualized the tree as if it had a voice and he connected the sounds and movements of it to his life. Robert swayed like the tree in the poem, he listened to it's every action and he said "I shall set forth for somewhere, I shall make the reckless choice;Some day when they are in voice;And tossing so as to scare;The white clouds over them on;I shall have less to say, but I shall be gone" as if his life is directly connected with this intricate tree.
This passage phenomenally brought out a different side of Annie and changed my interpretations of her. After reading this section, i noticed how similar Annie is to Robert Frost - a famous poet. All of his poems astoundingly represent what Annie noticed about life. Each of his poems pin-point how to take the small details in life, and make them something larger and more important than what they are known to be. Annie and Robert Frost remarkably show how you can change something, as small as an apple or as simple as a snow-covered hilltop, and extract everything from their simple but intricate details. Robert Frost, in one of his poems called "The Sound of the Trees", connects the trees to his life, as if they are more meaningful and majestic than just leaves and bark (you can read the full poem at the bottom of my blog). He visualized the tree as if it had a voice and he connected the sounds and movements of it to his life. Robert swayed like the tree in the poem, he listened to it's every action and he said "I shall set forth for somewhere, I shall make the reckless choice;Some day when they are in voice;And tossing so as to scare;The white clouds over them on;I shall have less to say, but I shall be gone" as if his life is directly connected with this intricate tree.
Section 3: Summary (Pg. 120 - end)
The last section was exceptionally the greatest part of all. In this passage, new discoveries were uncovered by optomistic Annie, especially after everything that happened in the last few moments of the book. During all of the emotional points of when her mother was impregnated, had the miracle child and all of the learning experiences in between, Annie took in a lot. She truly experienced the meaning of life this time, through the small, intricate and elaborate details around her. Watching the birth of her brother, Joey, was obviously significant in her life but even some details, as simple as running and drawing, became outlandishly meaningful to her. She finally knew to notice the inferior details of her surroundings and how make them worth going deeper into. Ever since she received the apple drawing project from art class, she began to take full consideration of what lies around her and how she can use it. She took advantage of the apple and used it as a guide for her life. Even though the apple wilts away from the bites of her grandfather and out of her grasp, she still took the time to appreciate it as if it was an ever-lingering dream, just like she does with her ever-wilting grandfather. She also watched the apple at every stage and every view, like she studies and draws her grandfather's profile and experiences the stages of the up-coming child in her mother's stomach. Now Annie knows what life could truly be, beyond what you can just see.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Section 2: Thoughts (pgs. 110-114)
110 - Shoeless:
In the poem, Shoeless, I love how Annie always incorporated events from before into the story. She added the time when she noticed she said "very" a lot (the poem forbidden words) and then she included it with the blurbs at the bottom when she was explaining something else. Here is what it said, "Very, very, very much." By adding that element, it truly makes you think back to what happened before in the story, which really keeps you deeply incorporated in the story.
114 - Shoeless:
I thought that it was very creative how throughout the whole story, the author added a different tone to the poems for specific parts. This was especially noticeable when Annie was explaining her running stride on page 114. When she was explaining it it was very choppy and not long winded, like she was running while explaining it. However, at more sentimental parts, the author made the poems more long-winded, such as the time when Annie was flipping through the pictures with her grandfather, explaining each one with complete sentences. It gives more than words to the poem, it adds the feeling.
In the poem, Shoeless, I love how Annie always incorporated events from before into the story. She added the time when she noticed she said "very" a lot (the poem forbidden words) and then she included it with the blurbs at the bottom when she was explaining something else. Here is what it said, "Very, very, very much." By adding that element, it truly makes you think back to what happened before in the story, which really keeps you deeply incorporated in the story.
114 - Shoeless:
I thought that it was very creative how throughout the whole story, the author added a different tone to the poems for specific parts. This was especially noticeable when Annie was explaining her running stride on page 114. When she was explaining it it was very choppy and not long winded, like she was running while explaining it. However, at more sentimental parts, the author made the poems more long-winded, such as the time when Annie was flipping through the pictures with her grandfather, explaining each one with complete sentences. It gives more than words to the poem, it adds the feeling.
Section 2: Thoughts (pgs. 95 - 108 )
95 - The Birthing Center:
I thought that the little captions at the bottom, that added more to the events at the top, were truly creative to add to the book and to the poems. I thought that they truly added not just more information, but they also added more thoughts from the character at that time, that give each poem more feeling.
105 - Lines
I love how deep Annie gets into things and how many little things she notices in life. Such as, in art class, she finally notices what her teacher meant by what her lines looked like by examining each picture. I loved how she explained how her lines popped out out of everyone else's pictures. I also noticed how deep Annie got into the apple project and how much deeper she wanted to go in it, past just drawing the apple. She was saying how upset she would be when the project was over and how she didn't want to stop learning more and more about apples.
106-108 - Forbidden Words
This section was when the teacher brought to the kids attention how dry, dull, and meaningless the words they used were. This reminded my so much of my Language Arts teacher when we were presenting our project. She placed a list of "Forbidden Words" on the back board such as "like, umm, very, alot, good, etc." just as the teacher did in the story. She even said the same things that explained how each word was meaningless, how we use them too much, and that we should find different and more meaningful words to use. However, I also noticed how the kids in the story learned something that i have learned before, that you never know how much you do something until someone brings it to your attention, such as the word choices. The kids, after the fact, were having trouble not using the "Forbidden Words" because of the bad habits of using them.
I thought that the little captions at the bottom, that added more to the events at the top, were truly creative to add to the book and to the poems. I thought that they truly added not just more information, but they also added more thoughts from the character at that time, that give each poem more feeling.
105 - Lines
I love how deep Annie gets into things and how many little things she notices in life. Such as, in art class, she finally notices what her teacher meant by what her lines looked like by examining each picture. I loved how she explained how her lines popped out out of everyone else's pictures. I also noticed how deep Annie got into the apple project and how much deeper she wanted to go in it, past just drawing the apple. She was saying how upset she would be when the project was over and how she didn't want to stop learning more and more about apples.
106-108 - Forbidden Words
This section was when the teacher brought to the kids attention how dry, dull, and meaningless the words they used were. This reminded my so much of my Language Arts teacher when we were presenting our project. She placed a list of "Forbidden Words" on the back board such as "like, umm, very, alot, good, etc." just as the teacher did in the story. She even said the same things that explained how each word was meaningless, how we use them too much, and that we should find different and more meaningful words to use. However, I also noticed how the kids in the story learned something that i have learned before, that you never know how much you do something until someone brings it to your attention, such as the word choices. The kids, after the fact, were having trouble not using the "Forbidden Words" because of the bad habits of using them.
Section 2: Thoughts (pgs. 77-91)
77 - Perspective:
I never knew how creative Annie could be, especially when she became bored with the same drawing of the same apple over and over again. To free from the boredom of the same drawing repeating, she started to think of different and creative ways to place and draw the apple. She Incorporated this thinking into her normal routine, even when she runs! She noticed the perspective of the leaves on the trees and how she could draw the apple from the bottom. Continually, i believe that she will become more creative, even out of the art room!
86 - Grandpa Talk:
Through the pages, i noticed how creative Annie became with her art. I love how she explained so deeply her grandfather's sleeping profile, "I draw his profile: The wide forehead, the unruly eyebrows, the noble nose, the down turned mouth."
87-91 - Mad Max:
I noticed, in this section, that Max seemed to start taking a down-turn in his attitude. It seems as if his mood is starting to take a change for the worse and that it is the climax of his mood-swings. However, i believe that it won't last too long because friends don't stay mad forever. During this time, I noticed how many thought-circles Annie got into, just like how i do in the same situations. Annie had one of the worst thought-frenzies when she thought that Max was mad at her. She thought that Max was mad at her because she didn't join the track team. Then she started thinking that if she did join the track team and if she won one of the meets that Max wouldn't be mad at her anymore. However, I usually end up like Annie does, realizing these rediculous thoughts and telling myself that this could obviously not happen.
I never knew how creative Annie could be, especially when she became bored with the same drawing of the same apple over and over again. To free from the boredom of the same drawing repeating, she started to think of different and creative ways to place and draw the apple. She Incorporated this thinking into her normal routine, even when she runs! She noticed the perspective of the leaves on the trees and how she could draw the apple from the bottom. Continually, i believe that she will become more creative, even out of the art room!
86 - Grandpa Talk:
Through the pages, i noticed how creative Annie became with her art. I love how she explained so deeply her grandfather's sleeping profile, "I draw his profile: The wide forehead, the unruly eyebrows, the noble nose, the down turned mouth."
87-91 - Mad Max:
I noticed, in this section, that Max seemed to start taking a down-turn in his attitude. It seems as if his mood is starting to take a change for the worse and that it is the climax of his mood-swings. However, i believe that it won't last too long because friends don't stay mad forever. During this time, I noticed how many thought-circles Annie got into, just like how i do in the same situations. Annie had one of the worst thought-frenzies when she thought that Max was mad at her. She thought that Max was mad at her because she didn't join the track team. Then she started thinking that if she did join the track team and if she won one of the meets that Max wouldn't be mad at her anymore. However, I usually end up like Annie does, realizing these rediculous thoughts and telling myself that this could obviously not happen.
Section 2: Thoughts (pgs. 70)
70 - The Coach:
In this section, several events happened that truly sparked ideas in my mind. In this section, i noticed how Annie always fought back potent when she felt strong about something, especially when the girl's track coach continued to poke and prod at her about joining the track team, even thought she wasn't interested. While the coach was poking at her about this, Annie just kept thinking of ways why she didn't want to join the team, in her head. She thought that she hated that someone had to win, that someone had to lose and basically that it is all about the game, not enjoying running while doing it. Annie's potent and mighty actions in this section truly reminded me of one of my friends, Erin. My friend, Erin, always fights back strong, especially when she has true and deep feelings about something. She continually thinks of ways that oppose what the other person is trying to say or bribe because that is not what she credits. Annie reminded me of Erin because of their strong come-backs and their deep thoughts and feelings about things.
In this section, several events happened that truly sparked ideas in my mind. In this section, i noticed how Annie always fought back potent when she felt strong about something, especially when the girl's track coach continued to poke and prod at her about joining the track team, even thought she wasn't interested. While the coach was poking at her about this, Annie just kept thinking of ways why she didn't want to join the team, in her head. She thought that she hated that someone had to win, that someone had to lose and basically that it is all about the game, not enjoying running while doing it. Annie's potent and mighty actions in this section truly reminded me of one of my friends, Erin. My friend, Erin, always fights back strong, especially when she has true and deep feelings about something. She continually thinks of ways that oppose what the other person is trying to say or bribe because that is not what she credits. Annie reminded me of Erin because of their strong come-backs and their deep thoughts and feelings about things.
Section 2: Summary (pgs. 60-120)
The second section was exceptionally the best part of the book, so far, and outstandingly brought out abounding amounts of new concepts and ways-of-thinking. In the second section of this story, Annie has met many new paths and has experienced a nurmerous amount of new things. Annie heard the new sounds of her baby sibling's heartbeat, she received the learning experience of a lifetime by starting the 100-day-apple-drawing assignment, she traveled through her grandfather's life represented as an abounding amount of significant pictures and she even had time to determine whether or not she would join the track team, which was obviously not something desired. Through out all of Annie's chaos and change, new emotions have been discovered along with new contemplation that have risen from the cracks of desolation and change.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Section 1: Summary & Thoughts (1-60)
The book that I am currently reading is Heart beat by Sharon Creech. So far, what I read has truly and extraordinarily inspired me to read on. Thus far, I have learned an abounding amount of things such as how Annie’s family, friend and social life have all begun to take turns in very different directions. Annie’s grandfather is beginning to forget all of the admirable times, her friend Max is taking a twist in his attitude and her mother is having a child or, as Annie thinks, an “alien baby” that gave her mom a “disease”. Presently, this book is turning out to being an inspirational, moving and creative book and I can’t wait to read on.
Thoughts:
So far, this book has undoubtedly brought upon abundant and bountiful thoughts, especially with the different form of writing it uses. Obviously, right when I began reading this book, I noticed that it was all written in poetry. Since I am a poet, I found much interest in the book instantaneously! I knew that it would be easy to connect with because I know, from prior knowledge, that poetry is a way to get all of your thoughts and feelings out. By previously knowing this, I instantly knew that by using poetry for a book, the author can add more than just detail to the story, but they can add feeling to it also! I immediately appreciated and understood that this book would definitely turn out to be much more than what I anticipated it to be.
More Thoughts:
However, I also felt strong about some things that happened so far in the story too. I noticed how independent and deep Annie was becoming. That came to mind because when Annie and her class had to write down what they feared and what they loved, Annie thought that her answers were different from the other kids. However, even though she thought that she did the assignment "incorrectly", she kept her answers. That truly tells me that she's not only becoming strong with herself, but that she is also noticing that she has to believe in herself and not pay attention to what the others are doing. Truthfully, with all of the extraordinary and immense happenings that are in her life currently, like her mother having a child, her friend Max and his mood-swings and her grandfather and his forgetfulness, I believe that she will just become more and more independent throughout the story.
Thoughts:
So far, this book has undoubtedly brought upon abundant and bountiful thoughts, especially with the different form of writing it uses. Obviously, right when I began reading this book, I noticed that it was all written in poetry. Since I am a poet, I found much interest in the book instantaneously! I knew that it would be easy to connect with because I know, from prior knowledge, that poetry is a way to get all of your thoughts and feelings out. By previously knowing this, I instantly knew that by using poetry for a book, the author can add more than just detail to the story, but they can add feeling to it also! I immediately appreciated and understood that this book would definitely turn out to be much more than what I anticipated it to be.
More Thoughts:
However, I also felt strong about some things that happened so far in the story too. I noticed how independent and deep Annie was becoming. That came to mind because when Annie and her class had to write down what they feared and what they loved, Annie thought that her answers were different from the other kids. However, even though she thought that she did the assignment "incorrectly", she kept her answers. That truly tells me that she's not only becoming strong with herself, but that she is also noticing that she has to believe in herself and not pay attention to what the others are doing. Truthfully, with all of the extraordinary and immense happenings that are in her life currently, like her mother having a child, her friend Max and his mood-swings and her grandfather and his forgetfulness, I believe that she will just become more and more independent throughout the story.
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