Summer 2004 Review:

Olive Barstow is dead. She was only twelve years old, but a car hit her while she was biking down Monroe street , and she flew across the road, and she was dead. Martha Boyle, the main character, knew Olive, bur was never friends with her. Olive’s mother brings Martha a page from Olive’s journal, which states that Martha is the nicest girl in the class. Martha becomes confused, and the book tells of her vacation shortly after Olive’s death, with many lifelike characters and situations.

Few have known someone young, of their own age, that died. Kevin Henkes, the author, writes as if he is one of the unlucky few that has experienced such trauma. His creation of the character Martha, and the other characters, and their traits, shows great skill as a writer. By the way, you may also know Kevin Henkes as the author of many picture books about mice, as I do. I’ve never read a chapter book of his before, and I think he should write more.

I think this book would be confusing and difficult for anyone under, say, the age of twelve or thirteen to read. Some parts of the book were so sad that I felt like I just couldn’t keep reading, and Martha’s feelings can be pretty intense. I already recommended this book to my friend, because I think the feelings and settings expressed are very well written, and that others should be able to experience the joy and immense healthy sadness that I experienced when I read Olive’s Ocean.

~ Emma Shebat, grade 7, Canfield Village Middle School