Book Summary: Martha is
approached after Olive’s death and realized that they could have been great
friends, but due to the extreme shyness of Olive they were not. They both wanted to be writers and kept an
ocean of secrets inside. Throughout the
summer after Olive’s death Martha begins to see how delicate life was through
the stories and frailty of her grandmother and her near drowning. She begins to realize that life could change
in a single minute.
My Impressions: When I think of books by Kevin Henkes I often think of
cute little creatures with moral issues.
However, this novel by Henkes did not disappoint me when looking for a
message about an issue about life and friends.
I was shocked that this book was on a banned book list. I may have never chosen to read it with a
group of students for that fact, but this helped me realize that some banned books
are awesome literature!
Professional
Review: School Library Journal - Gr 5-8-As Martha and her family prepare
for their annual summer visit to New England ,
the mother of her deceased classmate comes to their door. Olive Barstow was
killed by a car a month earlier, and the woman wants to give Martha a page from
her daughter's journal. In this single entry, the 12-year-old learns more about
her shy classmate than she ever knew: Olive also wanted to be a writer; she
wanted to see the ocean, just as Martha soon will; and she hoped to get to know
Martha Boyle as "she is the nicest person in my whole entire class."
Martha cannot recall anything specific she ever did to make Olive think this,
but she's both touched and awed by their commonalities. She also recognizes
that if Olive can die, so can she, so can anybody, a realization later
intensified when Martha herself nearly drowns. At the Cape ,
Martha is again reminded that things in her life are changing. She experiences
her first kiss, her first betrayal, and the glimmer of a first real boyfriend,
and her relationship with Godbee, her elderly grandmother, allows her to
examine her intense feelings, aspirations, concerns, and growing awareness of
self and others. Rich characterizations move this compelling novel to its
satisfying and emotionally authentic conclusion. Language is carefully formed,
sometimes staccato, sometimes eloquent, and always evocative to create an
almost breathtaking pace. Though Martha remains the focus, others around her
become equally realized, including Olive, to whom Martha ultimately brings the
ocean.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Uses:
·
Banned Books
Display during Banned Books Week
·
With students 6-8
in the library this book can lead into a discussion about family trees. As a group, create a family tree for the
Boyle family. Have students create their
own family trees and display in the library for students and families to
see.
·
On page 175
Martha tries to write a poem about her near death experience. Reread this poem and have students create
several first lines of poems about their own experiences and have them share
with the group.
Ellis, S.
[Review of the book Olive's Ocean by K. Henkins]. (2003,
November/December). Horn Book Magazine, 79(6),
745-
747.
Henkes, K. (2003). Olive’s ocean. New
York
Books.
