Sweeping Up the Heart

by Kevin Henkes

From 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.

Amelia 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.

Now 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.

Using crisp, lyrical, literary writing and moments of humor and truth, award-winning author Kevin Henkes deftly captures how it feels to be almost thirteen.

With 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.

• ISBN10: 006285254X
• ISBN13: 9780062852540
• Publish Date: 2 May 2019 (first published 19 March 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 22 August 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Greenwillow Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Henkes did a lovely job capturing Amelia's loneliness and frustration with her father. I know I was very frustrated with her father, and I was quite happy, when she mustered the courage to confront him. It was a real turning point for them. The friendship between Ameila and Casey was very sweet too. He was so open about his pain due to his parents' martial problems, and it seemed to help Amelia as she processed her own emotions regarding feeling unsure about her friendship with her best friend, the way her father abandoned her emotionally, and the loss of a mother she never really knew. I was endlessly thankful for Mrs. O'Brian as I read this book. She was shining star for Amelia, who helped keep her on course. This book was quietly beautiful, and totally sneaked up on me.

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