- Paperback
- Publisher: Scholastic (January 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0439142652
- ISBN-13: 978-0439142656
- Product Dimensions: 18.3 x 13.2 x 1.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 91 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
As in her Gone from Home (reviewed above), Johnson here explores the themes of what makes a place home and which people family. Fourteen-year-old Marley's tranquil life in Heaven, Ohio, turns hellish the day her family receives a letter from Alabama. The note (from the pastor of a church that was destroyed by arson) requests a replacement for Marley's baptismal record, and reveals that "Momma" and "Pops" are really Marley's aunt and uncle, and mysterious Jack (an alleged "uncle" with whom Marley has corresponded but doesn't remember) is her true father. In this montage of Marley's changing perceptions, Johnson presents fragments of the whole picture a little at a time: images of people, places (the Western Union building "1637" steps away from Marley's house) and artifacts (a box filled with love letters between her birth parents) gain significance as Marley begins to make sense of the past and integrate her perceptions into her new identity. The author's poetic metaphors describe a child grasping desperately for a hold on her reality ("It was one of those nights that started to go down before the sun did," she says of the evening the fateful letter arrives). The melding of flashbacks and present-day story line may be confusing initially, but readers who follow Marley's winding path toward revelation will be well rewarded. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-9-Life is Heaven in Heaven, Ohio for 14-year-old Marley until she discovers that the people she thought were her parents are actually her aunt and uncle. The man she thought was her Uncle Jack turns out to be her biological father. Angela Johnson (S&S, 1998) takes Marley on a journey of self-discovery as she must redefine who she is, and who her family is. Marley becomes an astute observer of other families and their relationships with one another. By seeing the love between other families, she knows that the love of her parents is genuine. Narrator Andrea Johnson makes the characters come alive in this Coretta Scott King Award book by giving each their own unique voice, especially the booming sound of Uncle Jack. Instructions at the beginning and end of each cassette make the transition from side to side smooth. A fine addition to any collection.
Todd Dunkelberg, Deschutes Public Library System, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Todd Dunkelberg, Deschutes Public Library System, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
In Heaven there are 1,637 steps from my house to the Western Union. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
In Heaven there are 1,637 steps from my house to the Western Union. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reality Writes!,
By annmmar "ASMB" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Heaven (Mass Market Paperback)
Marley is a fourteen year old girl who lives with her parents in Heaven, Ohio. The book discusses on an average day what she does. She sometimes go to the ma suprette to wire money to her uncle, she spends time with her friends Shoggy and Bobby (this character later comes in Johnson book called first part last). Marley narration through out the book let you realize her family is not a bad one. Her world comes tumbling down when she finds out that the people she has called mom and pops all her life are really her aunt and uncle and the uncle that she has been wiring money too is her real father. The book has many little chapters with different headings that focus on the specific title in each. It shows Marley emotions going up and down on the reality of her world and how she eventually deals with seeing her real dad coming to visit. A great read!
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little boring,
By Michelle (Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Heaven (Mass Market Paperback)
Heaven is about mArley, a fourteen year old girl living in a small town, who finds out a life changing secret. She discovers that she is adopted, that her mom is dead and her dad gave hear way when she was just a baby so he could tarvel. Marley has a lot of anger towards her adoptive parents and her real dad once she finds out, and also feels alone and unwanted. This book is about how Marley deals with this change and how she struggles to forgive her dad and adoptive family.I liked his book because it is a sweet story with a good moral, but it just wasn't very intresting. Anyone that is looking for a book that is intresting and where things happen in it, don't pick this book to read. It was well written with a nice ending but in a lot of parts I got really bored with it. I think people my age (teenagers) would think it drags on a lot and that it is really boring most of the time.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Heaven,
By Anna Reilly (The Walker School, Marietta, GA (USA)) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Heaven (Mass Market Paperback)
"Heaven" is about Marley, a fourteen year old girl living in small town, who finds out a terrible secret. She discovers that she is adopted, that her real mom is dead and her dad couldn't keep her. This book is mostly about how Marley deals with this surprising news.I thought this book was well written and a sweet story with a good moral, but it wasn't very intresting. If you are looking for an intresting book where things happen in it then you would probaly hate this book. I thought it was ok but it got very boring in a lot of parts. It did have a sweet ending though and I thought the moral was good. I just dont think people my age (teenagers) would like it becuase nothing exciting really happens in it.
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