Rating: 
Summary: A Treat for Fans of Kevin Henkes
Review: "Olive's Ocean" is a story of self -discovery and personal changes wrought by tragedy. The main character, twelve-year-old Martha Boyle, begins her journey when her classmate Olive dies suddenly as the result of a bicycle accident. Until Olive's mother shows up at Martha's doorstep with Olive's journal page, Martha doesn't realize what an impact she had on her classmate's short, lonely life. This realization makes Martha think about her past, present, and most importantly, her future. During summer vacation at her Grandmother's ocean-side home, Martha learns a lot about life, death, love, and family. This book is beautifully written in a very conversational style that makes the reader feel like he or she is seeing the world through the eyes of a twelve-year old girl. The pages are full of vivid images that will stay with you long after reading the book. As the story unfolds there are times of great joy, sadness, and confusion. This book will definitely cause self-reflection. My only caution about sharing this book with the recommended age level of 9-12 year olds is that it contains some curse words and a few crude remarks that I felt were inappropriate for elementary readers. However, overall "Olive's Ocean" is well worth reading and would be nice for parents to share with their preteen children.
Rating: 
Summary: Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Review: Author - Daniel Handler. Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography.
Publisher - HarperCollins, 2002 Short Summary - A page-turner of a detective story, the book attempts to solve multiple mysteries, not the least of which could be, "Who is the author of this book, and can the author be trusted?" The reader becomes the spy, who follows clues found in various narrative threads. The result is a scrapbook-like top-secret file of artifacts for examination. As a fusion of genre, perplexing evidence crouches in familiar formats recognizable as pieces of letters, sheet music, theatrical scripts, photo-journalism, newspapers, secret codes, treasure maps, booklists, obituaries and revised diary manuscripts. In the end, the reader is left with unanswered questions, such as: "Is there anything a concerned citizen can do if he or she wants to help the Beaudelaires?" Both the hope of resolution and the burden of proof pass to the reader, upon joining this peculiar spy ring brotherhood. Initiates inherit a set of crucial tools of discovery and the passwords, "The world is quiet here." Join at your own risk. 212 pages Brief Evaluation - "What can be hidden in a book?" Here's a book intended to stretch every reader's ability to find out. Junior High School-aged readers will be challenged, as a willingness to venture beyond oneself produces a much deeper sense of satisfaction in this reading experience. The results of any call for "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down" on this book remains thoroughly dependent on the reader's level of literature appreciation. Recommendations using VOYA evaluation codes: 5 for Quality/ 2 for popularity. A superior book for younger readers with an interest in knowing more about literature and literary pursuits. An enjoyable, helpful book for readers learning to improve critical literacy skills. Read Aloud Pages - ix - xvi, and discuss the reversible cover
Literary Principle - allusion
Rating:
Summary: A haunting journey into adulthood
Review: Even after the rash of school shootings, the death of a schoolmate still remains an unfathomable tragedy. Thank God. There are still feeling, sensitive children in the world and Caldecott Honor winner (OWEN) Kevin Henkes captures a young girl's summer of becoming, and coming to terms with death, in the remarkable novel Olive's Ocean. What do you do when someone who dies suddenly, someone your age who might have been your friend, speaks to you from beyond the grave? This is almost "Ghost" or "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday" for teens.
Rating:
Summary: A Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse for older readers
Review: Olive's Ocean is a great book about a girl named named Martha who has a complicated life. After Olive, a girl in Martha's class, dies in an accident, Martha feels somewhat guilty. In Olive's last journal entry she hoped for three things: she wanted to become a writer, she hoped that one day she could go to an ocean, and she wanted to become friends with Martha. Now Martha is trying to fulfill Olive's dreams for herself, and Olive.
This book has won the Newbery Honor and captures the hearts and minds of girls ten-fifteen who also cherished the book Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
Kevin Henkes is a great fiction author who writes books for all ages. His writing is award winning from Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse to Olive's Ocean.
Rating:
Summary: Olive's Ocean
Review: Olive's Ocean is by Kevin Henkes (of Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse fame). When I read the recommendation in Booklist for this Newbery Honor book, I decided to order it for our school's library. Renaissance Learning identified it as a 4.7 reading level. This seemed to be a book that would appeal to our fourth and fifth graders. I thought that Kevin Henkes would create a novel that would appeal as much to our older students as his his picture books appeal to our younger students.
Please be aware that this book has quite a bit of profanity. It also has many sexual references. These two bits of information are not included in the reviews. Olive's Ocean is really more appropriate for students in middle or high school. I would not have purchased it for our elementary students had I been aware of this.
Rating: 
Summary: Olives Ocean
Review: Olives Ocean is about a girl named Martha. Martha goes to her Gramdma's house at the beach. At the beach Martha meets the Manning family and one of the Manning boys likes her. The reasons she is at her Grandma's house are to spend time with her grandma and she wants to get some ocean for Olive's mom. Martha acts more like a mother to Lucy then a 12 year old sister. She likes to spend lots of time onthe beach.When it is time to leave heer Grandma's house Martha is not ready to go yet. I think this book is appropriate for ages 10 to 13 year old. They will learn some things about how important relationships are. If you like the ocean, then you may like this book too becausemost of it occurs at the ocean. I liked this book because i learned how important a relationship is. Iliked how Martha during the whole trip was trying to dod something nice for someone she didnt really know.
Rating:
Summary: "We all trail complications." *
Review: Perhaps what is most remarkable about Kevin Henke's book, Olive's Ocean, was his choice as male to portray the thoughts and feelings of an adolescent female protagonist. In this regard, perhaps he ventured no more than asexual content, but as an adult male myself, I was truly impressed. I wonder if female readers marvel at Henke's accomplishment?
The audience target for this book is strictly limited to girls,
grades 4-9. However, only the most introspective/reflective may find interest/value. There is little suspense or drama.
Protagonist Martha's character is strong, appealing, and most real as someone just beginning to step past the period of childhood. The plot, for the target audience, is mesmerizing: in a moment of infatuation, Martha's innocence is exploited by a cavalier boy's self-serving kiss. It is the portryal of her noble reaction and her turmoil in which Henke shows his talent (the likely motive behind the Newberry Award). And the ultimate lesson, I guess, girls: fall for the modest boy; be wary of his showoff brother! Ha--few of you will do so!
Short chapter construction and brevity in prose highlight Henke's craftmanship. However, he periodically lapses into some artsy, lofty metaphors and ruminations that at minimum come very close to exceeding the boundaries of the target audience.
Martha's grandmother is endearing and the scenes with her are poignant. Grandma invites Martha's intimacy and you sense she would offer wisdom for her granddaughter's turmoil. Yet, "age-typically," Martha is resistant to being self-disclosive. Indeed, Martha never reveals her exploitation with the significant adults in her life. As an adult reader, I certainly wanted her to. I fear the example portrayed, however, I believe Henke stays grounded by offering a model example of resolution, and in doing so, offers the reader the more attractive peer guidance. Let the audience learn from Martha's experience. And, after all, it was only holding hands and a "peck."
For me, the major weakness is making significance and connection for the character and circumstances of Olive with the totality of the story. It just doesn't weave together well. Okay, the gift of seawater in a baby jar tugs at the heartstrings, but otherwise, Olive's overall importance seems trivial.
Boring reading? MOSTLY. Olive's Ocean did merit consideration for the Newberry. It fufills the qualities of fine children's literature. And, it deserves at least 4 stars as such. But I would prefer the Newberry be awarded to books with true appeal to both genders.
*The quotation is from the book--oblique, even in the context in which it was used.
Rating:
Summary: spelling queen??
Review: Rhonda Dennis: Before you correct others, it is "unnecessary" and "received" .Check your own writing first and save YOURSELF some embarrasment!!
Wonderful book! My son loved it so boys enjoy it too!
Rating:
Summary: It is just so...serious
Review: The premise of the story is very thoughtful. Kids do have to deal the death of a classmate sometimes. Martha's relationship with her grandmother is very special and Henkes writes very lovingly of their affection for each other. There are lots of intermediate and jr. high readers who love "growing-up-angst" stories. I think girls 4th grade and up would identify with Martha. It definitely has a place in an elementary library though it is important to remember the medal on the cover does not mean it is a match for all readers nor all age groups . Younger readers would not appreciate the issues Martha faces. The "language" referred to in other reviews is very mild.
Henkes's novels are very different in tone from his picture books.
Rating:
Summary: Not Newbery Honor material...according to my students :P
Review: This book has been given the honor of being a "Newbery Honor medal" award winner, but many of my students disagree. Although they liked most of the book, they felt that the writing was less than stellar and that other books such as Garth Nix's "Abhorsen", Jeanne DuPrau's "The City of Ember" or Stephen E. Ambrose's "This vast land" would have been better choices (this is coming from my Jr. High kiddies...). I would not put this book in an Elementary school library as it has too much profanity and sexual suggestions. This is a shame as...aren't Newbery winners supposed to be targeted for elementary and middle school students? Where's the wholesomeness? Where are the vocabulary, story and plots of Newbery winners of long ago? Not to be found in this book...a dismal disappointment...
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