Twelve-year-old Martha Boyle stands on the brink of discovery: about her family, about first love, and mostly about herself. As her family prepares for the annual visit to her paternal grandmother, Martha is given a journal entry from her classmate, Olive, who was killed in an automobile accident. Martha didn't really know Olive, but the journal entry makes Martha reflect on what might have been if Olive hadn't died. In her two weeks on Cape Cod, Martha learns to deal with the changing emotional landscape that comes with adolescence. This quiet, introspective story seems a bit overwhelmed by Blair Brown's strong, deep voice. While she reads with calm assurance, delineating the characters well with inflection and pacing, the overall effect is disappointing. A lighter voice might have provided more sparkle for the carefully crafted language and the depiction of the main character's changing self-awareness so skillfully created by Henkes. S.G. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an alternate
kindle_edition edition.
Gr. 5-8. More than anything Martha wants to be a writer. The problem is that her father does, too. Is there room for two writers in a single family? This is only one of the many questions that beg to be answered during Martha's twelfth summer. Here are others: Is Godbee, the paternal grandmother whom the family is visiting at Cape Cod, dying? Why is Martha's father so angry? Could Jimmy, the eldest of the five neighboring Manning brothers, be falling in love with her (and vice-versa)? And what does all this have to do with Olive, Martha's mysterious classmate, who died after being hit by a car weeks earlier? Olive, who also wanted to be a writer and visit the ocean, and hoped to be Martha's friend. Like Henkes' Sun and Spoon (1997), this is another lovely, character-driven novel that explores, with rare subtlety and sensitivity, the changes and perplexities that haunt every child's growing-up process. He brings to his story the same bedrock understanding of the emotional realities of childhood that he regularly displays in his paradigmatically perfect picture books. This isn't big and splashy, but its quiet art and intelligence will stick with readers, bringing them comfort and reassurance as changes inevitably visit their own growing-up years. Michael Cart
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Review
“Henkes’s story is subtle and satisfyingly untidy. Grabs you right from the start.” -- Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
“Lyrically written.” -- Seattle Times
“Martha Boyle is one of the memorable 12–year–old girls of fiction, smart, confused, compassionate.” -- KLIATT (starred review)
“With his usual sensitivity and insight, Henkes explores key issues of adolescence.” -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Rich characterizations move this compelling novel to its satisfying and emotionally authentic conclusion.” -- School Library Journal (starred review)
“With beautifully defined characters, events, and emotions that will tug at your heart, this novel is flawless.” -- Daily Item
“Few girls will fail to recognize themselves in Martha.” -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“An eloquent journey into adolescence.” -- Florida Times-Union
“The ever versatile Kevin Henkes dazzles with this spare yet profoundly touching coming-of-age novel.” -- Family Fun Magazine
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About the Author
Kevin Henkes is an award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children of all ages. He received the Caldecott Medal for Kitten’s First Full Moon; Caldecott Honors for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors—one for Olive’s Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller—and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble. His other books include Egg, Old Bear, A Good Day, Chrysanthemum, and the beloved Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. Kevin Henkes lives with his family in Madison, Wisconsin. www.kevinhenkes.com
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![Olive's Ocean by [Kevin Henkes]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41TY+auAC8L._SY346_.jpg)
