Heaven by Angela Johnson

A.Bibliographic Data:
Johnson, Angela. 1998. Heaven. Simon and Shuster Books for Young Children: New York, New York. ISBN 0-689-82229-4.

B. Plot Summary:
Heaven is the name of the small town where fourteen year old Marley lives with her Momma Pops and younger brother Butchy. Marley writes letters to her Uncle whom she has never met but whom through correspondence shares many of her thoughts. She has never met him, but she knows that he travels with his dog boy, and writes to her about his travels. they Marley had three friends Shoogy, Bobby and his daughter Feather who she usually babysits. Marley's parents confess that they are not her parents that her mother Christine died when she was a baby, and that her father left her because he couldn't deal with the loss. Momma and Pops took care of Marley as if she were their own, but she still feels betrayed and struggles with the feelings that flood over her with this new discovery. She struggles with those feeling but with through unconditional love that her family and friends give her she is able to accept the change in her life, and embrace's it when in the last chapter of the book she meets Jack, her real father.

C. Critical Analysis:
Johnson does an excellent job of portraying emotions and actions that are unexpected. Heaven's character develops tremendously, and Johnson keeps readers intrigued by every action. One example is how although Heaven is furious with her Momma and Pops for not telling her the truth earlier, she never lashes out at them. I checked out this book at the public library and noticed that on the cover it has a black label that states: Coretta Scott King Award, and Non-Violent Social Change. After reading this book I understood why it was an award winner. I liked the mention in the book of the alley with flowers and benches and walls with grafitti, and statements like, “Some stuff still gets tagged on the overpass-but I don't think the spayers really put their heart into it anymore.” Heaven finds a meaning in the things that surround her as she observes them.


D. Review Excerpt:
From School Library Journal:
“ In spare, often poetic prose reminiscent of Patricia MacLachlan's work, Johnson relates Marley's insightful quest into what makes a family. Her extreme anger with her supposed parents, who turn out to be her aunt and uncle, for not telling her the truth, for not being the perfect family that she d always thought them to be, wars with her knowledge that not even her friend Shoogy Maple s model family is as perfect and beautiful as it seems. The various examples of "family" Marley encounters make her question what's real, what's true, what makes sense, and if any of that really matters as much as the love she continues to feel for her parents in spite of their seeming betrayal Johnson exhibits admirable stylistic control over Marley's struggle to understand a concept that is often impossible to understand or even to define.” by Linda Bindner.


E. Connections
An activity that can done as a whole group would be to have students create an additional final chapter to this book.
Have students keep a journal and have them add an entry after reading each chapter.