Heaven

Heaven was written by Angela Johnson. It is a realistic fiction chapter book. The theme of the book is that things are not always what they seem. The primary and secondary characters are Marley, Uncle Jack, Momma, Pops, and Shoogy. The book was published in 1998 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. It is a Coretta Scott King Award winner.

 This book is about a 14 year old girl, Marley, who lives in Heaven, Ohio. Marley has lived in this town since she was 2. Her Uncle Jack sends her mail regularly. Although she has not seen him since she was a baby, she tries to create an image of him in her head. Marley discovers that her parents have adopted her, and she feels that she can no longer trust them. Marley soon discovers that her real father is Uncle Jack. Through her discovery, Marley finds her new self.
I would use this book as part of an upper elementary classroom. This book could also be used as a classroom wide read. Students could write a short essay after reading the book about what discoveries they have made in their own lives that lead them to look at things differently.