by Kevin Henkes
Martha Boyle and Olive Barstow could have been friends. But they weren't -- and now all that is left are eerie connections between two girls who were in the same grade at school and who both kept the same secret without knowing it. Now Martha can't stop thinking about Olive. A family summer on Cape ...
Genre: Contemporary Romance Year Published: 2001 Number of Pages: 217 pages Date Read: 4/13/2012 I have been reading many works by Kevin Henkes ever since I was a child, but they were all children’s books like “Chrysanthemum,” “Sheila Rae the Brave” and “Owen” and I had enjoyed every one! N...
If I was 10 or 12 this book would've been an easy 5 stars for me because it spelled out, what I think is, the most important thing everyone (not only teenagers but adults as well) should realize ... that the world doesn't revolve around you (so suck it up!). I still think it deserved a five just for...
Olive’s Ocean tells the story of 12 year old Martha, who longs for the summer breaks, as this is the time she gets to spend most with her grandmother. But this summer things are different; firstly Olive a girl in Martha’s class unexpectedly gets killed, Martha feels really guilty as she didn’t reall...
Quite enjoyable.
Kevin Henkes has always been one of my favorite picture book authors. His books (Chrysanthemum, Lilly's Plastic Purple Purse, Wemberly Worried and more) were books that I read frequently with my children. He seemed to be able to capture friendship, bravery and so many of the traumas associated wit...
The story was endearing, and the transition between child and woman is nothing new in literature. However, Olive's Ocean will speak to young girls about the trials of passage in an awkward stage of life. The positive aspects, however, did not make up for the weaknesses of the book. The protagonis...
I loved this quiet (very Newbery) book. The serious, overly-thoughtful, sometimes melancholy character reminds me a lot of myself when I was 12. And the writing is so wonderfully tight and spare that even though the book is quiet it carries real impact. Henkes is so good at capturing the essence ...
Ironically, the same author that wrote "Lily's Purple Plastic Purse" has also written one of the most depressing books I have ever read--"Olive's Ocean". It tells the story of a girl who wanted to be friends with another girl named Olive. Unfortunately, Olive is now dead. It is only until after Oliv...
I like this book a fair bit, but it's probably a "Criss Cross" scenario here: The age range for the Newbery probably wouldn't get a whole lot out of it. But I read it when I was around fifteen, so I really liked it. In any case, I'd say it's worth a look.
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