Title: Olive's Ocean
Author: Henkes, Kevin
Publisher and Date: Harper Collin's Children's Books, 2003
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range:4th-6th
2004 Newberry Honor Book
Summary: This book acts as a dairy, recording a week in the life of a young teenage girl named Martha Boyle. Martha has red out of control hair, loves the Atlantic Ocean, and dreams of one day becoming a writer. When the book begins Martha is packing for a week at the beach with her beloved Godbee (grandmother). Throughout the course of the story Martha has to deal with all kinds of issues such as dealing with the death of girl, Olive Barstow, she and her classmates barely knew, getting her first kiss and surviving her first heartache, and learning to get along with her family.These book is a hilarious and realistic view into the life of a young teenage girl. At the end of the story Martha has opened up to her family, found a boy who is truly worth liking (Tate), and finally put away the guilt she felt about Olive's death.
Response: I really liked this book. It is a very definite change from the fantasy books I have been reading recently. I felt like Kevin Henkes did an excellent job of accurately describing the feelings and anxieties of a twelve-year-old girl; I have a twelve-year-old sister and she like Martha is in love with so many boys in such a short period of time and she also wonders where she belongs within our family. I think this book is just perfect for any fourth through sixth grade boy or girl. It teaches kids that it is ok to question things, to get hurt, and to just live your life. The ending of the book is so perfect. After Martha accomplished all her goals and solved all her crisis' she realizes one thing, she's glad to be back home where everything makes sense and where she is safe and loved. As the book ends she loudly proclaims, "I'm Home!"
Teaching Ideas: This book would be a great book to just read to the students in class. They could keep a running journal about their own daily concerns and compare them with the concerns and crisis' Martha experienced. The students could also write an entry about the qualities they most admired about Martha andwhether or not they felt she handled her problems successfully. These two activities would keep the students involved, help them think critically about the reading, and allow them to apply it to their own lives. Another good way to use this book is to read it in class when you specifically see that a child in your class is being overlooked. This book focuses on Olive Barstow, a girl who everyone ignores until it is too late. Maybe this book along with some help from the teacher would prompt some students to reach out.
Feel free to check out more of Kevin Henke's great books!
Author: Henkes, Kevin
Publisher and Date: Harper Collin's Children's Books, 2003
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range:4th-6th
2004 Newberry Honor Book
Summary: This book acts as a dairy, recording a week in the life of a young teenage girl named Martha Boyle. Martha has red out of control hair, loves the Atlantic Ocean, and dreams of one day becoming a writer. When the book begins Martha is packing for a week at the beach with her beloved Godbee (grandmother). Throughout the course of the story Martha has to deal with all kinds of issues such as dealing with the death of girl, Olive Barstow, she and her classmates barely knew, getting her first kiss and surviving her first heartache, and learning to get along with her family.These book is a hilarious and realistic view into the life of a young teenage girl. At the end of the story Martha has opened up to her family, found a boy who is truly worth liking (Tate), and finally put away the guilt she felt about Olive's death.
Response: I really liked this book. It is a very definite change from the fantasy books I have been reading recently. I felt like Kevin Henkes did an excellent job of accurately describing the feelings and anxieties of a twelve-year-old girl; I have a twelve-year-old sister and she like Martha is in love with so many boys in such a short period of time and she also wonders where she belongs within our family. I think this book is just perfect for any fourth through sixth grade boy or girl. It teaches kids that it is ok to question things, to get hurt, and to just live your life. The ending of the book is so perfect. After Martha accomplished all her goals and solved all her crisis' she realizes one thing, she's glad to be back home where everything makes sense and where she is safe and loved. As the book ends she loudly proclaims, "I'm Home!"
Teaching Ideas: This book would be a great book to just read to the students in class. They could keep a running journal about their own daily concerns and compare them with the concerns and crisis' Martha experienced. The students could also write an entry about the qualities they most admired about Martha andwhether or not they felt she handled her problems successfully. These two activities would keep the students involved, help them think critically about the reading, and allow them to apply it to their own lives. Another good way to use this book is to read it in class when you specifically see that a child in your class is being overlooked. This book focuses on Olive Barstow, a girl who everyone ignores until it is too late. Maybe this book along with some help from the teacher would prompt some students to reach out.
Feel free to check out more of Kevin Henke's great books!
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