Heartbeat

The story of Heartbeat begins with Annie’s mother’s pregnancy and ends with the birth of Annie’s younger brother. How does Annie’s idea of family change throughout the book?

Max and Annie both love to run, but they have very different ideas of what kind of running is worthwhile. How else are these characters different? How are they similar?

Annie’s mother, father, and grandfather are never named. What effect does this have on the story?

Heartbeat is written in free verse poetry. What about the writing feels like a poem? What does not?

Imagine if Heartbeat had a sequel. Do you think Annie would end up joining the track team? Why?

How does Annie change from the beginning of Heartbeat to the end?

Annie and her grandpa have a close relationship. Why does she begin drawing portraits of him?

Annie incorporates what she learns from her teacher Mr. Welling into her writing. What are some examples of this? What does this show us about Annie’s character?