The celebrated child Mattie J.T. Stepanek continues his internationally inspiring poetry with Hope Through Heartsongs. For those who haven't followed Stepanek's rise to fame, this young phenomenon writes poetry that is wise beyond his years and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live. Indeed, as Gary Zukav marvels in the book's foreword, Stepanek's wisdom seems to extend beyond what most human beings master in a lifetime. "A heartsong is something deep inside each of us," Mattie Stepanek explains in his introduction. "It's our sense of why we are here and how we can keep going. It's like a purpose. It may be to live as a mommy or a daddy, or a firefighter or a delivery person, or a child with a disability who teaches others about patience and love and acceptance."

As a child living with muscular dystrophy who has lost all three of his siblings to the same disease, Stepanek knows the landscape of loss and grief. How easy it would be to wallow in despair, yet Stepanek has chosen hope--not the wide-eyed hope of the innocent, but the hope consciously chosen in the face of human suffering and troubling global problems. Many believe that global healing has to start with the little people and move its way up to the leaders. What better place to begin than with the words of this amazing child? You may be tall
I may be small,
But inside we are the same
length of strength
--Mattie J.T. Stepanek, June 1998 --Gail Hudson


From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-Teens will be touched by the poetic observations of this preteen author. Both he and the words he chooses are exceptional in many ways. Stepanek has a rare form of muscular dystrophy, but his writing and positive outlook are more powerful than his physically debilitating disease. Readers are introduced to his views about illness, imagery, relationships, peace, prayer, fear, and perseverance. All are filled with hope, reflecting his philosophy to "remember to play after every storm." A selection written on and about September 11, 2001, is included. A few illustrations are added to the mix of poems, which are dated by month and year.Karen Sokol, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
[Editor's Note: The following is a combined review with A HEARTSONGS COLLECTION.]--The author, not yet a teenager, is a poet whose inspirational words arise from his longstanding struggle with a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Hearing him read his poems and connecting with his view of the world will be quite an experience for many listeners. You hear, not a struggling child, but a young adult, seasoned by having to contemplate an existence founded on pain, dysfunction, and a limited future. He reads naturally, and the two audios will make many parents take another look at the way children experience the world and what kinds of childhood problems are really worth worrying about. T.W. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
The latest volume of poetry by the little dude who authored the best-selling collection Journey through Heartsongs (2002). Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Jimmy Carter, Former U.S. President
"Mattie will inspire readers of all ages with thoughts and images that bring both tears and expanded hearts."


Book Description
The award-winning bestselling poetry of 11-year-old Mattie Stepanek has touched the lives of hundreds and thousands of people. From Heartsongs, to Vietnam War Memorial, to Prayer for a Journey, Mattie has written movingly and courageously about life and death, love and loss, faith and hope, innocence and joy. His struggle with a rare form of muscular dystrophy has given him wisdom and insight, and his life, work, and message have been recognized by Oprah, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, ABC TV’s Good Morning America, People, NBC TV’s the Today show, and C- PAN’s BookTV.


About the Author
Mattie J.T. Stepanek began writing poetry and short stories at the age of three. Some of his works explore the uncensored reality of living with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, and with the grief associated with the loss of his three siblings to the same life-threatening condition. In 2001, Mattie served as the Maryland State Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2002, he will serve as both the National Ambassador and the State Ambassador for the MDA. He lives with his mother, Jeni, in Upper Marlboro, MD, where he is home schooled.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Mattie Stepanek is familiar to millions from his two New York Times bestsellers, Heartsongs and Journey Through Heartsongs, and his appearances on Oprah, Good Morning America, and many other television and radio shows. In this new book, Mattie writes poetry about sustaining hope when your life and your world challenge you. Mattie's struggle with a rare form of muscular dystrophy has not diminished his ability to see light and hope in each individual and in the world. Hope Through Heartsongs includes poetry in sections called "Hope for within," "Hope for Each Other," and "Hope for the World." In his young life, Mattie has faced a spectrum of loss and joy surprising to many, but natural to this poet and peacemaker. Read these poems and know that no matter how difficult some situations seem, with hope there is light.

FROM THE CRITICS

Jimmy Carter

Mattie will inspire readers of all ages with thoughts and images that bring both tears and expanded hearts.

VOYA - Blayne Tuttle Borden

Mattie J. T. Stepanek, the thirteen-year-old author of his third volume of poetry, finds solace and hope in heartsongs, his ideation of "why we are here and why we keep going." Suffering from muscular dystrophy, he began writing as a toddler as a way to deal with the tragedies in his life. His poetry, which has been lauded on ABC, C-SPAN, Oprah, and the New York Times best-seller list, is poignant and thoughtful but ultimately the poetry of a teenager. There are some nice images in this most current volume. In "It Happened Anyway," a poem cataloging his feelings of powerlessness surrounding the death of a sibling, Mattie writes, "We wish we could have prevented it, / And stopped his death, and saved him from / Never needing birthday candles...", deftly illustrating the finality of death. His much-praised kernels of wisdom and observation, a result of inordinate pain and turmoil in his life, are the main draw, and they will be heartwarming to some, clich￯﾿ﾽd to others. The strength in this book lies in the fact that many teens love stories of real people overcoming tragedies and will relate to the raw emotions and honesty of Mattie's poetry. Public libraries will want at least one volume by the unique teen, whose goal is to spread peace and hope. Readers who slurp up the Chicken Soup books, revel in the words of Dave Pelzer, and relate to the philosophies of Gary Zukav will relish this new volume of heartsongs. Index. Illus. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2002, Hyperion/Disney, 62p,

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Teens will be touched by the poetic observations of this preteen author. Both he and the words he chooses are exceptional in many ways. Stepanek has a rare form of muscular dystrophy, but his writing and positive outlook are more powerful than his physically debilitating disease. Readers are introduced to his views about illness, imagery, relationships, peace, prayer, fear, and perseverance. All are filled with hope, reflecting his philosophy to "remember to play after every storm." A selection written on and about September 11, 2001, is included. A few illustrations are added to the mix of poems, which are dated by month and year.-Karen Sokol, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile