Book
Summary:
Twelve-year
old Martha Boyle is looking forward to a carefree summer in Cape Cod when she
receives a journal entry from the mother of a classmate that recently passed
away. Now all Martha can focus on is how
much Olive and she have in common and the possibility that they could have been
friends. Martha feels like Olive’s story is not finished, and it is up to
Martha to bring closure to Olive’s life.
During the summer, Martha will experience her first crush and the
anguish of leaving childhood and entering adolescence.
APA Reference of the Book:
Henkes, K. (2003). Olive’s
ocean. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
Impressions:
This
is the first chapter book that I read by Kevin Henkes. I love all his picture books. When I discovered he had written a chapter book, I was
shocked to learn it was on the Banned Book list. Henkes poignant language make
the reader empathize with Martha as she struggles to find peace with the loss
of her classmate and leaving childhood behind.
Martha feels trapped as she does not feel like a child, but she is not
ready to face the realities of maturing. I love the relationship that Martha has with
her grandmother. Martha is a worrier, and I related with Martha as I read the
book. I remember experiencing how
awkward a girl feels when she is twelve-years old. Henkes provides wonderful insights to his
character.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
On her family’s Cape Cod vacation,
Martha is haunted by a journal entry left by a dead classmate. Olive, an
unremarkable loner, hoped to have Martha (“the nicest girl in the class”) as a
friend. This summer 12-year-old Martha is noticing her grandmother’s aging,
experiencing adolescent alienation from her affectionate family, and feeling
the self-consciousness of yearning for her neighbor Jimmy. Jimmy, 14 and an
aspiring filmmaker, surprises Martha with his attentions, inquires whether she
has ever been kissed, and asks to film her for his video. Their kiss captured
on film, as it turns out, is the result of a wager. Well-plotted, the working
out of Martha’s feelings of humiliation, her renewed connection to family, and
her final gesture towards the dead Olive are effected with originality and
grace. Henkes’s characters never lack for the inner resilience that comes from
a grounding in the ultimate decency of family. Characters and setting are
painted in with the deft strokes of an experienced artist. Few girls will fail
to recognize themselves in Martha. (Fiction.
10-13)
Kirkus Review. (2010, May 20).
[Review of Olive’s Ocean by
Kevin Henkes.] Kirkus Review.
Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kevin-henkes/olives-ocean/
In the Library:
Olive’s Ocean makes a great book study book. I
would invite students to check out this book and read it for pleasure. After a group of students read the book, I
would hold chats and discuss the book.
There are so many topics to be discussed such as why the students think
the book was banned and Martha’s relationships with her parents, her other
brother, grandmother, and Olive. Also,
we could discuss why Martha feels a certain responsibility to bring closure to
Olive's life. We could discuss the dramatic change in tone and writing style from
Henkes’ pictures books and chapter book The
Year of Billy Miller.
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