1. Heaven is For Real
By Todd Burpo
Charlie Hattas
Reading Miss Roche
Period 3
5/11/12

2. AUTHOR
Todd Burpo is the husband of Sonja and
the father of Cassie, Colton, and Colby Burpo.
Todd is a pastor of Crossroads Wesleyen Church
in Imperial, Nebraska. His sermons are
broadcasted locally every Sunday on the local
radio station. He also works at Chase County Public Schools as
a wrestling coach and as a member of the school board. Todd
also – in times of emergency – works as a firefighter for the
Imperial Volunteer Fire Department. I think Todd Burpo was
very courageous and brave when Colton ruptured his
appendix. He is now on the list for one of my role models.

3. SUMMARY
One day, Colton Burpo’s stomach began hurting. His mother
and father thought that he just had the stomach flu. It turned
out that Colton’s appendix had ruptured. At the hospital, the
doctors and surgeons did all they could to help Colton, but
from their looks, Colton’s father new that Colton wasn’t going
to make it. Colton’s dad prayed hard to God for a miracle, and
then that prayer was answered. Colton was alive! He
miracuosly survived. Even the doctors were surprised at what
had happened. At the Burpo house, everything was back to
normal, until one day. Colton’s dad asked Colton what it was
like at the hospital and Colton replied, “That’s where the
angels sang to me.”

4. CHARACTERS
Main Characters:
Todd Burpo – the father of Colton – husband of Sonja – pastor –
has a strong belief in God
Sonja Burpo – the mother of Colton – wife of Todd – very brave
and loving
Cassie Burpo – sister of Colton – oldest child in the family
Colton Burpo – had his appendix ruptured – went to heaven and
back – had bravery when going through his treatments
Colby Burpo – brother of Colton and Cassie – the youngest – had
a sense of humor and always liked to joke around

5. CHARACTERS CONTINUED
Supporting Characters:
Pop – Todd Burpo’s grandfather – met Colton in heaven – was
very handsome when he was young – Todd liked Pop better
than his father – owned a farm where Todd liked to visit

6. PLOT
Intro
- Colton feels sick and his parents think he has the stomach flu
- Colton’s parents take him to a hospital because the “stomach flu”
was actually a broken appendix
Rising Action
- At the hospital, everything seems hopeless
- Colton’s dad prays hard and so does his mom
- They gather together some people from their church to pray for
Colton
Climax
- It turned out that Colton survived!
- He miraculously turned out to be okay
- Even the doctors were astonished with the news

7. PLOT CONTINUED
Falling Action
- Over the months, Colton tells his parents how he had been to
heaven and back
- Everyone in heaven has wings and is young
- Jesus has a crown and a purple sash
- God sits on a throne, Jesus sits on the right, and Gabriel the angel
sits on the left
- Colton also saw Pop, Colton’s dad’s grandfather
Conclusion
- Colton concludes that a war is coming between Jesus and Satan and
that Todd has to fight in it
- He tells his dad not to worry because Jesus will win, like he always
does

8. VOCABULARY
- Appendix n. - a tube-shaped sac attached to and opening into
the lower end of the large intestine in humans and some
other mammals. – “Your on has a ruptured appendix,” he said.
– page 37
- Gurney n. - A wheeled stretcher used for transporting hospital
patients. – In the surgical prep room, Sonja laid Colton on a
gurney, kissed his forehead, and stepped away as a nurse
closed in with an IV bag and a needle – page 37
- Deductible n. - A specified amount of money that the insured
must pay before an insurance company will pay a claim. –
“There’s a $3,200 deductible.” – page 54

9. VOCABULARY CONTINUED
- Glum n. - Looking or feeling dejected; morose. – He looked a
little glum when he said this. – page 72
- Capacity n. - The maximum amount that something can
contain. – But we hadn’t told Colton, judging the topic was a
bit beyond a four-year-old’s capacity to understand

10. ACTORS
Todd Burpo played by Sonja Burpo played by
Ryan Phillipe Katie Holmes

11. ACTORS
Cassie Burpo played by Colton Burpo played by
Joey King Jonathan Lipnicki

12. ACOTRS
Colby Burpo played by Pop played by
George McCarthy Walter Matthau

13. MUSIC
– “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Guns N’ Roses
I would have this song in a scene when Colton takes his last
breath and dies.
– “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zepplin
I would put this song in a scene where Colton is floating up into
heaven.

14. RATING
I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
I give Heaven Is For Real a 4.5 out of 5 stars because I really liked
the story. It was very interesting. I wonder what it would be
like if I went up to heaven and cam back. That would be
pretty cool. I would get to see Jesus and all the angels. The
thing I didn’t like about the story was that it wasn’t as detailed
as other books I’ve read. Otherwise, Heaven Is For Real is a
really good book.