Coretta Scott King Award Winner

Heaven
I truly enjoyed Heaven by Angela Johnson. This book is written in a way that allows the reader to identify with the characters' feelings. I don't really have anything in common with any of the main characters in Heaven. However, I could feel sympathy for them and their situations. The characters are believable. For me, this makes a good book. Readers have a real understanding for Marley's feelings upon finding out that her parents are not her biological parents. Johnson does an excellent job of conveying the anguish that Marley feels during this time.

I wish that she had better explained the relationship between Marley and Bobby. She babysits for him, but he is also a friend. A twelve-year old girl seems an unlikely companion for a young single father. As an adult, I felt uncomfortable with the presentation of this relationship. I am afraid that in reality, it would not exist in such an idealistic (or platonic!) way. Also from an adult perspective, I was concerned with Shoogy's problem with cutting. I wish that Marley had some inner struggle with it besides simple reflection on what would make Shoogy want to do that to herself. I wish that she had at least considered seeking adult intervention, but, of course, the book would have taken on a different tone. This could certainly have changed its tone and compromised its appeal. The situation certainly allows Marley to reflect on her own relationship with her parents and determine that whatever her own situation, they had never given her cause to feel anything like what must be bothering Shoogy.

This Coretta Scott King Award winner has appeal to teens of any background. It is not written with only for only one demographic. The characters are well-developed and readers will find themselves identifying with their feelings and strife if not their situations.