Seventh grader Amelia, resigned to staying in Madison over spring break, plans to spend time at the ceramic studio in her neighborhood to work on a project. She’s initially unsettled by the presence of Casey, the owner’s nephew, a talkative boy her age staying with his aunt while his parents address problems with their marriage, but they bond making up stories about people passing by during lunch. Casey suggests one woman could be like an incarnation of Amelia’s mother, who died when she was two. It leaves Amelia uneasy. Not only does the woman resemble Amelia, but Amelia keeps noticing her around the neighborhood. Once she even sees the woman with her dad. Amelia, who is white, begins to wonder if it might not be her mother. There is nothing supernatural in this story, only a strong, quiet undercurrent of feeling and a deft, beautifully realized understanding of what it is to be a thoughtful, imaginative child for whom the impossible seems almost within reach. Amelia’s emotionally distant father, the loving older neighbor who’s helped care for her, and Casey are among other finely drawn, singular characters in a story that has both weight and lightness, especially as Amelia’s relationship with her father—and his with her—begins to open and change. (Ages 8–12)

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.