In this post, we feature author Shakirah Bourne, whose previous titles include Josephine Against the Sea, which was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. You can hear her speak about her new novel, Beware the Heartman, and try her “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Beware the Heartman
- Written by Shakirah Bourne
- Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
- Release date: September 17, 2024
For once, everything in 12-year-old Josephine’s life is going according to plan. She’s finally proved that girls belong on the cricket team and earned a spot as a starting player. And she’s confident that she and her best friend, Ahkai, will both be accepted to their dream secondary school. Nothing can stop Jo now—not even the memory of the vengeful sea spirit she vanquished last year. But then a series of disasters strike. Ahkai suddenly seems to have a new best friend, Jo isn’t accepted to the same school as Ahkai, and even worse, Jo keeps having eerie encounters with a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows—a figure who bears an unsettling resemblance to the fearsome Heartman rumored to steal children’s hearts. Jo doesn’t know where to turn. With Daddy away, the only person who’ll believe her is Ahkai, but Jo is too proud to ask for help after being replaced. By the time she musters the courage to approach him, it’s too late. None of the adults believe Jo. The Heartman is just a legend, after all. But Jo knows that the fearsome creature is real and that if she doesn’t find his lair soon, Ahkai will be lost forever. One again, acclaimed author Shakirah Bourne weaves Caribbean folklore into another spine-tingling, supernatural thriller for middle-graders.
From Beware the Heartman, written by Shakirah Bourne.
“It’s been ten months since I cut into the tree and accidentally released Mariss, a spiteful half-woman, half-snake sea spirit.”
Click here to view a longer preview of Beware the Heartman, written by Shakirah Bourne.
Explore Beware the Heartman
Listen to Shakirah Bourne talking with TeachingBooks about creating Beware the Heartman. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to Shakirah Bourne pronounce her name.
- Sample the e-book of Beware the Heartman, by Shakirah Bourne, on Overdrive.com.
- Sample the audiobook of Beware the Heartman, by Shakirah Bourne, on Overdrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for Beware the Heartman
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Shakirah Bourne.
Imagination Activity with Shakirah Bourne
Beware the Heartman tells the story of Josephine’s encounter with one of the most fearsome folklore characters in Barbados. If you had to meet the scariest creature in the world, who or what would it be? What exactly makes them scary? Now, make a list of all the ways you could defeat them to protect your loved ones.
Finish This Sentence . . . with Shakirah Bourne
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Shakirah Bourne’s response.
“A strange topic that I had to research for my book is…”
A strange topic I had to research for my books is how long the average person can hold their breath underwater. The answer is 30-90 seconds. However, a group of people called the Bajau, who live at sea, can hold their breath for as long as 13 minutes! The Guinness World Record for longest time breath has been held is 24 minutes!
“My protagonist can’t live without…”
My protagonist can’t live without her dad, her best friend, and playing a game of cricket!
“Where I work is…”
Where I work is on the beach!
Thank you!
To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Shakira Bourne for signing a book for all of us.
More Connections to Shakirah Bourne and Beware the Heartman
- Discover books like Beware the Heartman on TeachingBooks.
- Scholastic’s page about Beware the Heartman, written by Shakirah Bourne.
- Buy Beware the Heartman, written by Shakirah Bourne.
All text and images are courtesy of Shakirah Bourne and Scholastic, Inc. and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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