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Bird Lake Moon
When two boys come to spend the summer at Bird Lake, each is reeling from his own personal tragedy. Both boys arrive scarred and fragile, but as they become friends, the sharp edges of their lives smooth out and, slowly, they are able to start to heal.
Spencer thought the house might be haunted.
Mitch knew it wasn't. And he knew why.
The whole time Spencer and Mitch hung out together at Bird Lake that summer, there were secrets keeping them apart.
And maybe a secret knowledge keeping them together, too—together like members of the same tribe. Like friends.
Author Note
Dear Reader,
Olive’s Ocean, my last novel, was published in 2003. Since then I’ve written and illustrated three picture books and two board books. All the while I was working on those books, I was thinking about Bird Lake Moon. In fact, my first notes for Bird Lake Moon are dated June 2003.
My new book revolves around two boys: Spencer Stone and Mitch Sinclair. It was Spencer and his family who came to me first. It’s interesting to me now that Mitch wasn’t part of the story when I began. But once he appeared in my thoughts and on the page, he became increasingly important. In its final form, the book starts with his story.
The creative process is difficult to understand, much less explain. I do know that bits and pieces of my life and of my family’s life are embedded in Bird Lake Moon, as they are in all my books. And, like a person, a book grows, lives, moves forward in its own way.
After being a huge part of me for years, Bird Lake Moon is ready to find its readers. It’s bittersweet to let a book go, but I’m already thinking of other ones. . . .
Best wishes,
Kevin Henkes
Spencer thought the house might be haunted.
Mitch knew it wasn't. And he knew why.
The whole time Spencer and Mitch hung out together at Bird Lake that summer, there were secrets keeping them apart.
And maybe a secret knowledge keeping them together, too—together like members of the same tribe. Like friends.
Author Note
Dear Reader,
Olive’s Ocean, my last novel, was published in 2003. Since then I’ve written and illustrated three picture books and two board books. All the while I was working on those books, I was thinking about Bird Lake Moon. In fact, my first notes for Bird Lake Moon are dated June 2003.
My new book revolves around two boys: Spencer Stone and Mitch Sinclair. It was Spencer and his family who came to me first. It’s interesting to me now that Mitch wasn’t part of the story when I began. But once he appeared in my thoughts and on the page, he became increasingly important. In its final form, the book starts with his story.
The creative process is difficult to understand, much less explain. I do know that bits and pieces of my life and of my family’s life are embedded in Bird Lake Moon, as they are in all my books. And, like a person, a book grows, lives, moves forward in its own way.
After being a huge part of me for years, Bird Lake Moon is ready to find its readers. It’s bittersweet to let a book go, but I’m already thinking of other ones. . . .
Best wishes,
Kevin Henkes
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 22, 2008
25 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Henkes
147 books1,213 followersKevin Henkes is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
September 14, 2017
I searched other reviews for insights that would help me appreciate this more, and found only the same complaints that I have. It is Henkes, who writes beautifully and who knows children. But I don't know any children who would like this. Even I found it too subtle... which is truly saying something! And the cover doesn't really fit, either, which is even more important for kids than it is for most of us adults.
I really really want a kid's opinion of this.
I really really want a kid's opinion of this.
January 29, 2008
My overriding question upon finishing Bird Lake Moon:
Is this really a book for children, or is it a book about them?
Of course, it's well-written. Kevin Henkes knows exactly how kids and their families react and interact in fragile situations, so the emotions and actions of the characters are believable, even insightful. But to me, the whole thing felt a bit like an out-of-body experience. There's just something awfully adult about the writing itself, something too insular and reflective to make me believe this is a story that will appeal to more than a handful of young readers.
Any other early readers care to weigh in?
Is this really a book for children, or is it a book about them?
Of course, it's well-written. Kevin Henkes knows exactly how kids and their families react and interact in fragile situations, so the emotions and actions of the characters are believable, even insightful. But to me, the whole thing felt a bit like an out-of-body experience. There's just something awfully adult about the writing itself, something too insular and reflective to make me believe this is a story that will appeal to more than a handful of young readers.
Any other early readers care to weigh in?
January 21, 2008
Kevin Henkes has been a favorite author of mine for a very long time. I read Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse until the pages fell out when I was little, and I was so jealous when the other fifth grade class read Olive’s Ocean. Thus I had great expectations for Bird Lake Moon.
I still am debating whether or not I liked the book. The writing is great, and the stories are real. Sometimes the boy’s emotions seemed dry, but then they act normally again. The ending is perfect, and not what I expected. I try to find one reason why it didn’t impress me like I thought it would and I can’t.
Maybe my expectations just left spaces too big to fill. I half wish that I hadn’t known the author, so I could say it was a fantastic book. It just doesn’t match up to Olive’s Ocean.
I just looked at what I said above, and it sounds like a pretty dreary book, huh? Well, it is really good. Henkes spotlights two average boys, and makes their summers connect.
Spencer knows that his house on Bird Lake is haunted. His brother drowned years ago, and Spencer thinks he haunts the lake. First, he finds a pile of sugar with a 12 (the age his brother would be now) and a turtle. He learns that his brother swallowed a turtle when he was little. Everything just builds up, until Spencer is convinced that his brother has lurked on the lake for 8 years.
But Mitch Sinclair knows that Spencer’s brother isn’t haunting the lake. And he would totally tell Spencer if it weren’t for the fact that his parents just split up and might (he doesn’t even want to think about it) be divorcing.
Well, I probably won’t get this book in hardback when it comes out. I feel so bad for not liking it a great deal, so that’s why it took me so long to review it.
I still am debating whether or not I liked the book. The writing is great, and the stories are real. Sometimes the boy’s emotions seemed dry, but then they act normally again. The ending is perfect, and not what I expected. I try to find one reason why it didn’t impress me like I thought it would and I can’t.
Maybe my expectations just left spaces too big to fill. I half wish that I hadn’t known the author, so I could say it was a fantastic book. It just doesn’t match up to Olive’s Ocean.
I just looked at what I said above, and it sounds like a pretty dreary book, huh? Well, it is really good. Henkes spotlights two average boys, and makes their summers connect.
Spencer knows that his house on Bird Lake is haunted. His brother drowned years ago, and Spencer thinks he haunts the lake. First, he finds a pile of sugar with a 12 (the age his brother would be now) and a turtle. He learns that his brother swallowed a turtle when he was little. Everything just builds up, until Spencer is convinced that his brother has lurked on the lake for 8 years.
But Mitch Sinclair knows that Spencer’s brother isn’t haunting the lake. And he would totally tell Spencer if it weren’t for the fact that his parents just split up and might (he doesn’t even want to think about it) be divorcing.
Well, I probably won’t get this book in hardback when it comes out. I feel so bad for not liking it a great deal, so that’s why it took me so long to review it.
July 20, 2016
I'm unclear how to rate this book, because it wasn't written for me, not exactly. It's definitely a children's novel. Though it does speak to themes that adults may want to read about, and it's very gentle with those themes, such as guilt, divorce, death (grief, more than death, actually, as the child in question was already dead when the book starts, dead ten years) (don't worry, that's not a spoiler), sibling rivalry. Really, though, the book is pretty tame with those matters. I wonder if it's heavy enough to have much impact. But again, I'm not a kid. It's been quite awhile since I've been a kid. All I can do is relate it to the books I read back then, books like The Pigman, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Outsiders. That wouldn't be fair, exactly, because a lot has changed for kids since then.
May 27, 2013
A melancholy story about two boys who meet at Bird Lake in Wisconsin, each suffering. Mitch's father has just left his family for younger woman, leaving Mitch and his mother to seek refuge from her not very congenial parents. Spencer's family has avoided their vacation home since his brother drowned. The boys are not the same age but they become friends; however, before their friendship can really develop, Spencer's mother decides the sad memories are too much for her and she insists on returning to Madison. Although Mitch begins to come to terms with his parents' divorce by the end, I found the story very depressing and could not figure out who the audience would be - surely not boys the age of the protagonists? I am a big fan of Henkes' picture books and must admit I wish he would stick to those!
June 7, 2008
Henkes is such a craftsman. I can appreciate all the skills and thoughts and wonderful passages that he puts into this and many other titles: all of them high quality works! But my realization today is that I don't particularly love the Impressionistic artworks. I have seen and "understood" the "Water Lilies" of Manet, for example -- hey, I even visited and was thrilled by Monet's garden at Giverny. And I understand how impressive the techniques are to combine Just Right those small patches of colors to capture light and mood and impressions. But, when you stand back and take a look at a painting of a bridge or a pond of water lilies -- they are a bridge and a pond of water lilies: it does not excite me. Bird Lake Moon is sparkling at many points, mysterious as well, and a young coming-of-age story done poetically. Many "patches" of beautiful language and revelation are combined just right to capture this significant summer in two little boys' lives. But, this is not a story that took me to another plane. I am never a lover of representations of objects in art. Maybe because I want someone to surprise me, to make me laugh or to awe me, or to perplex me (can perplex be used this way?): so, give me Cubism, Surrealism, or even Post-modernism, and I am thrilled -- finally, I understand myself and how I can categorize a bunch of books as impressionistic and explain why I am not entirely taken by them!
May 29, 2008
The emotions and actions of the characters were very real and true-to-life, but something about the writing was lacking. It didn't seem consistent. Carefully crafted descriptive phrases were followed by dull explanations of the characters' feelings. There wasn't enough suspense or surprise to hold my attention...I felt like I knew too much for the plot to be interesting. However, I'm glad that the "ghost of Matty" wasn't played out as the central plot line. I appreciate how Henkes portrays the kids in the book, and I think children will really relate to those characters.
**F.M.S. = Fear of Missing Something**
**F.M.S. = Fear of Missing Something**
July 23, 2008
The writing is lovely but ultimately I felt it was much more of a "mood" piece than a real child-focused story. I wondered about audience - it's a boy book but it's also quiet and introspective. If anyone has had any child readers I'd really like to know!
March 13, 2016
Mitch's parents are getting a divorce and his world turns upside down.
A sweet YA story of longing, loneliness, fleeting friendship, and adjusting
A sweet YA story of longing, loneliness, fleeting friendship, and adjusting
July 5, 2020
This is a beautifully written, emotional and atmospheric tale of two boys who are both struggling with inner demons.
Mitch’s parents have recently separated and Mitch and his mum have come to stay with his grandparents at Bird Lake. He becomes obsessed with the empty house next door... fantasising about living there himself.
But then The Intruders arrive. Spencer’s family own the house and have returned to see if they can bury the demons surrounding the drowning of their eldest child.
Spencer and Mitch both share their inner thoughts with the reader in a poignant and thoughtful way... and slowly they become friends.
There is always an edge as the story progresses... you are left wondering what might happen next.
But this story is less about a plot line, and more about the characters. As such, it won’t necessarily appeal to fans of the fast moving, action book. But for those students who enjoy relationships and character development, this might appeal as it is a manageable read...
Mitch’s parents have recently separated and Mitch and his mum have come to stay with his grandparents at Bird Lake. He becomes obsessed with the empty house next door... fantasising about living there himself.
But then The Intruders arrive. Spencer’s family own the house and have returned to see if they can bury the demons surrounding the drowning of their eldest child.
Spencer and Mitch both share their inner thoughts with the reader in a poignant and thoughtful way... and slowly they become friends.
There is always an edge as the story progresses... you are left wondering what might happen next.
But this story is less about a plot line, and more about the characters. As such, it won’t necessarily appeal to fans of the fast moving, action book. But for those students who enjoy relationships and character development, this might appeal as it is a manageable read...
October 14, 2015
Neither kid had an average family. They had a little bit of a twist to their lives. I read Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes. This book draws you into the slight mystery and cliffhangers that make you never put the book down.
Spencer and Mitch were just ordinary kids with a little bit of a different family life. They were both spending the summer at Bird Lake. Mitch because his dad left him and his mom. Spencer because his brother drowned in bird lake when his brother was 4 and the family wanted to come back to remember him. At first Mitch wanted Spencer's family to leave so he was trying to scare them off. Spencer thought that the weird hints left for him were from his dead brother and Spencer came to believe that ghosts were real. After a few days, Spencer and Mitch became good friends and the truth came out that Mitch had left the weird items for Spencer. Spencer did not really mind that much and the two kids were doing everything together. Then, one day Mitch came back from looking for apartments with his mom something was different around the lake.
I think that this book was a very good, and interesting book. I liked it because it made you think a little bit. You could not just skim through the pages and expect to understand it. Also, it was not boring. There was always something interesting happening, it never just started telling and not showing. It definitely painted a picture in my head and I could easily imagine what was happening in the book. One thing that I did not like was that I felt like the book ended very quickly. It didn’t have much of a conclusion. I felt like the author got bored so he just threw on an ending without really making the ending at its best potential.
I think that it would be important for others to read this book because it shows that all families are not perfect and that not every story is going to have a happy ending. Mitch and Spencer had harder lives than most people, mostly within their families and it is important that people know how everyone has a different story that is either happy or not. But, you need to be nice to everyone because you do not know what untold story they are hiding. Everyone deserves to be treated well and if you are mean to others you will regret it. Just like Mitch regretted leaving something that scared Spencer, and stealing something that belonged to Spencer before he actually knew him or had a reason to be mean.
I would recommend this book to others. There were a couple of elements about it that I did not love, but overall I thought that it was a great book. There were a lot more positive than negative things about it. It was high quality writing and I think that the author is a very creative and an awesome author in general. I would definitely read another one of Kevin Henkes’ books. I think that Bird Lake Moon was super eventful and a bit mystical which makes it an amazing book that I would recommend to people any day.
Overall Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes was a very well put together and well written books that I am happy I read. It taught me a little bit and could be applied to real life. It was the perfect pace and never went off to unimportant and uninteresting topics. I would definitely consider reading this brilliant book if you are reading because it will be hard to put down.
Spencer and Mitch were just ordinary kids with a little bit of a different family life. They were both spending the summer at Bird Lake. Mitch because his dad left him and his mom. Spencer because his brother drowned in bird lake when his brother was 4 and the family wanted to come back to remember him. At first Mitch wanted Spencer's family to leave so he was trying to scare them off. Spencer thought that the weird hints left for him were from his dead brother and Spencer came to believe that ghosts were real. After a few days, Spencer and Mitch became good friends and the truth came out that Mitch had left the weird items for Spencer. Spencer did not really mind that much and the two kids were doing everything together. Then, one day Mitch came back from looking for apartments with his mom something was different around the lake.
I think that this book was a very good, and interesting book. I liked it because it made you think a little bit. You could not just skim through the pages and expect to understand it. Also, it was not boring. There was always something interesting happening, it never just started telling and not showing. It definitely painted a picture in my head and I could easily imagine what was happening in the book. One thing that I did not like was that I felt like the book ended very quickly. It didn’t have much of a conclusion. I felt like the author got bored so he just threw on an ending without really making the ending at its best potential.
I think that it would be important for others to read this book because it shows that all families are not perfect and that not every story is going to have a happy ending. Mitch and Spencer had harder lives than most people, mostly within their families and it is important that people know how everyone has a different story that is either happy or not. But, you need to be nice to everyone because you do not know what untold story they are hiding. Everyone deserves to be treated well and if you are mean to others you will regret it. Just like Mitch regretted leaving something that scared Spencer, and stealing something that belonged to Spencer before he actually knew him or had a reason to be mean.
I would recommend this book to others. There were a couple of elements about it that I did not love, but overall I thought that it was a great book. There were a lot more positive than negative things about it. It was high quality writing and I think that the author is a very creative and an awesome author in general. I would definitely read another one of Kevin Henkes’ books. I think that Bird Lake Moon was super eventful and a bit mystical which makes it an amazing book that I would recommend to people any day.
Overall Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes was a very well put together and well written books that I am happy I read. It taught me a little bit and could be applied to real life. It was the perfect pace and never went off to unimportant and uninteresting topics. I would definitely consider reading this brilliant book if you are reading because it will be hard to put down.
January 25, 2009
Bird Lake Moon, written by Kevin Henkes, portrays the lives of two young boys faced with family hardships. Both boys visit Bird Lake hoping to receive answers to their many questions. The main character, Mitch, is struggling to accept the fact that his father has left his mother for another woman. Henkes skillfully reveals Mitch’s personality by sharing his inner thoughts along with his actual dialogue. Empathizing with Mitch is natural even when he makes wrong choices.
Like Mitch, readers connect with Spencer easily. Spencer’s family is still coping with the loss of his older brother who drowned at Bird Lake several years before. Spencer’s concern for his mother and drifting thoughts of his deceased brother make him a likable character. Spencer’s little sister, Lolly, likes to use different voices and do imitations. Henkes brings Lolly to life using the voice and language of a typical 7 year-old girl.
Eventually, Mitch and Spencer meet and become friends only to have their trust tested. They share their own stories with each other and learn about family, relationships and friendship together. Although both main characters grow from their experiences and the writing is superb, Bird Lake Moon left me feeling despondent. My despondent feeling, however, was probably due to the fact that the characters were so authentic and the writing so heartfelt. The ending, although positive, does not fix every problem. There is an overall glum mood throughout the book, yet glum is appropriate considering the subject matter.
Bird Lake Moon is definitely for an older elementary and middle school audience. It is not appropriate for primary elementary students. Bird Lake Moon meets the criteria for a Newbery Award. The writing is “distinguished.” There is a clear, well-written theme. Henkes beautifully ties the stories of both boys together. The plot is well-developed and the story makes sense. The characters are believable and three-dimensional. The setting is thoroughly depicted as each scene of the story unfolds. It is easy to imagine the tranquil sights and sounds of Bird Lake.
Like Mitch, readers connect with Spencer easily. Spencer’s family is still coping with the loss of his older brother who drowned at Bird Lake several years before. Spencer’s concern for his mother and drifting thoughts of his deceased brother make him a likable character. Spencer’s little sister, Lolly, likes to use different voices and do imitations. Henkes brings Lolly to life using the voice and language of a typical 7 year-old girl.
Eventually, Mitch and Spencer meet and become friends only to have their trust tested. They share their own stories with each other and learn about family, relationships and friendship together. Although both main characters grow from their experiences and the writing is superb, Bird Lake Moon left me feeling despondent. My despondent feeling, however, was probably due to the fact that the characters were so authentic and the writing so heartfelt. The ending, although positive, does not fix every problem. There is an overall glum mood throughout the book, yet glum is appropriate considering the subject matter.
Bird Lake Moon is definitely for an older elementary and middle school audience. It is not appropriate for primary elementary students. Bird Lake Moon meets the criteria for a Newbery Award. The writing is “distinguished.” There is a clear, well-written theme. Henkes beautifully ties the stories of both boys together. The plot is well-developed and the story makes sense. The characters are believable and three-dimensional. The setting is thoroughly depicted as each scene of the story unfolds. It is easy to imagine the tranquil sights and sounds of Bird Lake.
December 26, 2008
NO for black-eyed susan.
NO for our school library.
Sorry, Kevin Henkes, but this one missed the mark.
Henkes is most recognized for his award-winning picture books (Lily's Purple Plastic Pure, Owen, It's a Good Day, Kitten's First Full Moon). He's written a number of novels, including Newbery honor winner Olive's Ocean, but Bird Lake Moon doesn't quite accomplish the wonder he sets out to establish.
In short, this story is about a boy who moves with his mom to his grandparent's house on Bird Lake. It appears mom and dad are going through a divorce and mom needed some time away. The house next door is abandoned and Mitch, our main character, wishes he and mom could just move in there... that is until a family pulls up one day and move back into the house. The family, as it turns out, have neglected this house because of its ties with a family tragedy several years back, but now mom and dad are giving it another go. Mitch, however, decides he wants the family to leave, so he spies on them and sets up little ghost-like occurrences around the houes in attempts to spook them away. Well, wouldn't you know the boy from the new family and Mitch, who gets found out, become friends and then have a difficult time moving away from one another.
My goodness... even writing a synopsis felt like a bit of a chore.
In Henkes defense, I listed to the audio book of Bird Lake Moon and the reader wasn't great (his female voices were, at times, enough to make you jump out of a moving car).
Still, I had the feeling that there were a great deal more pages/words than needed to accurately tell this story. With description after description of hum drum events with little more excitement than sitting on the side of a lake on a sunny summer's day, this title needed to be condensed to a short story or embellished with a great deal more action or humor if students are ever going to give it a chance.
NO for our school library.
Sorry, Kevin Henkes, but this one missed the mark.
Henkes is most recognized for his award-winning picture books (Lily's Purple Plastic Pure, Owen, It's a Good Day, Kitten's First Full Moon). He's written a number of novels, including Newbery honor winner Olive's Ocean, but Bird Lake Moon doesn't quite accomplish the wonder he sets out to establish.
In short, this story is about a boy who moves with his mom to his grandparent's house on Bird Lake. It appears mom and dad are going through a divorce and mom needed some time away. The house next door is abandoned and Mitch, our main character, wishes he and mom could just move in there... that is until a family pulls up one day and move back into the house. The family, as it turns out, have neglected this house because of its ties with a family tragedy several years back, but now mom and dad are giving it another go. Mitch, however, decides he wants the family to leave, so he spies on them and sets up little ghost-like occurrences around the houes in attempts to spook them away. Well, wouldn't you know the boy from the new family and Mitch, who gets found out, become friends and then have a difficult time moving away from one another.
My goodness... even writing a synopsis felt like a bit of a chore.
In Henkes defense, I listed to the audio book of Bird Lake Moon and the reader wasn't great (his female voices were, at times, enough to make you jump out of a moving car).
Still, I had the feeling that there were a great deal more pages/words than needed to accurately tell this story. With description after description of hum drum events with little more excitement than sitting on the side of a lake on a sunny summer's day, this title needed to be condensed to a short story or embellished with a great deal more action or humor if students are ever going to give it a chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2019
Book: Bird Lake Moon
Summary: The protagonist, Mitch Sinclair, moves to his grandparents' house on Bird Lake with his mother after his father left them. Mitch does not feel welcome and claims the abandoned house as his own. He hangs out under the porch and hopes that someday he and his mother can live there. One day a family moves into the house. In that family is a boy about Mitch’s age named Spencer. Spencer has a younger sister and used to have an older brother. His older brother drowned at Bird Lake many years ago. His family was nervous to go back after what had happened. Mitch is mad that the family ruined his fantasy of living there so he decides to play tricks on them to scare them away. He moves things around in their yard and makes drawings on the porch. Spencer notices them and thinks they are messages from his dead brother. Later on, Spencer and Mitch become friends. There were not a lot of children on the lake so it was nice to have someone to hang out with. Mitch felt bad about messing with Spencer but did not reveal that it was he who did it yet. Both of them struggled to deal with the losses in their life. Mitch with the loss of his father, and Spencer with his brother. The two boys became very close over the time they shared, but eventually, Spencer had to leave. All the sad memories of their dead son were too overwhelming for Spencer’s parents and they left. Not too soon after Mitch left the lake to live in an apartment with his mother.
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. It was 196 pages and I finished it in 2 days, so obviously I liked it. The plot was very interesting and unique. It was unlike any other book I have read in the sense that it wasn't cookie cutter or cliche. I would recommend this book to my peers. It wasn't too challenging, but at the same time, it was still a good read.
Summary: The protagonist, Mitch Sinclair, moves to his grandparents' house on Bird Lake with his mother after his father left them. Mitch does not feel welcome and claims the abandoned house as his own. He hangs out under the porch and hopes that someday he and his mother can live there. One day a family moves into the house. In that family is a boy about Mitch’s age named Spencer. Spencer has a younger sister and used to have an older brother. His older brother drowned at Bird Lake many years ago. His family was nervous to go back after what had happened. Mitch is mad that the family ruined his fantasy of living there so he decides to play tricks on them to scare them away. He moves things around in their yard and makes drawings on the porch. Spencer notices them and thinks they are messages from his dead brother. Later on, Spencer and Mitch become friends. There were not a lot of children on the lake so it was nice to have someone to hang out with. Mitch felt bad about messing with Spencer but did not reveal that it was he who did it yet. Both of them struggled to deal with the losses in their life. Mitch with the loss of his father, and Spencer with his brother. The two boys became very close over the time they shared, but eventually, Spencer had to leave. All the sad memories of their dead son were too overwhelming for Spencer’s parents and they left. Not too soon after Mitch left the lake to live in an apartment with his mother.
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. It was 196 pages and I finished it in 2 days, so obviously I liked it. The plot was very interesting and unique. It was unlike any other book I have read in the sense that it wasn't cookie cutter or cliche. I would recommend this book to my peers. It wasn't too challenging, but at the same time, it was still a good read.
September 5, 2009
I would give this book three and a half stars.
"Bird Lake Moon" is wonderful and mysterious, esoteric and pointed and childlike and exceptionally beautiful in the crystalline descriptions that flow from the pen of Kevin Henkes. The same inscrutable qualities that worked to make "Olive's Ocean" such a mystifyingly fine addition to juvenile literature are clearly at work here. Perhaps the genius of Kevin Henkes is in the ways that his stories are allowed to bleed through to the heart of the reader not by spelling out the things that are, but by allowing the natural rhythm and blend of the little pieces that make up human experiences to capture the page when any wordy description could only perform a pale imitation.
This story is simply, sweetly beautiful, even though I cannot fully point out exactly what makes it so. It encompasses the pain in the human heart and the resilience that so inexplicably always seems to accompany that pain. I truly love "Bird Lake Moon," as well as the characters in it who will always remain close in my thoughts.
"He couldn't help but give in to the occasional temptation to replay past events in his mind, altering them, changing them from cruel to comfortable, from sad to happy, from unfair to accommodating. Anything was possible in his imagination. Any ending. If only thinking it could make it so."
—Bird Lake Moon, PP. 170-171
"Bird Lake Moon" is wonderful and mysterious, esoteric and pointed and childlike and exceptionally beautiful in the crystalline descriptions that flow from the pen of Kevin Henkes. The same inscrutable qualities that worked to make "Olive's Ocean" such a mystifyingly fine addition to juvenile literature are clearly at work here. Perhaps the genius of Kevin Henkes is in the ways that his stories are allowed to bleed through to the heart of the reader not by spelling out the things that are, but by allowing the natural rhythm and blend of the little pieces that make up human experiences to capture the page when any wordy description could only perform a pale imitation.
This story is simply, sweetly beautiful, even though I cannot fully point out exactly what makes it so. It encompasses the pain in the human heart and the resilience that so inexplicably always seems to accompany that pain. I truly love "Bird Lake Moon," as well as the characters in it who will always remain close in my thoughts.
"He couldn't help but give in to the occasional temptation to replay past events in his mind, altering them, changing them from cruel to comfortable, from sad to happy, from unfair to accommodating. Anything was possible in his imagination. Any ending. If only thinking it could make it so."
—Bird Lake Moon, PP. 170-171
September 9, 2008
This book would be considered to be contemporary fiction. It touches base with family problems and friendship.
Mitch Sinclair is a 12 year old boy that thinks his life is falling apart. His parents are in the beginning of getting a divorce. For the summer, Mitch and his mom move to Bird Lake to live with his grandparents. After awhile, Mitch becomes sick of his grandparents and his mom, so he spends most of his days next door at a vacant house his liked to call his house. When a young boy, Spencer, his younger sister and parents moved in to "his" house Mitch was devistated so Mitch came up with sneaky tricks to play on this family. His plan doesn't seem to work. Once he meets Spencer, they become extremely close. Mitch shares with Spencer how the divorce of his parents is bothering him, and Spencer tells Mitch about his older brother that had drowned at Bird Lake. This book is very touching, and is a great story about friendship.
I think by having a student do a dramatic monologue would be great to do for this novel. There are so many opportunities for a monologue that would connect with a young student.
I also think it would be a great idea for students to write the author of this book after they read it to ask questions or to express their feelings about a character or an event in the book.
Mitch Sinclair is a 12 year old boy that thinks his life is falling apart. His parents are in the beginning of getting a divorce. For the summer, Mitch and his mom move to Bird Lake to live with his grandparents. After awhile, Mitch becomes sick of his grandparents and his mom, so he spends most of his days next door at a vacant house his liked to call his house. When a young boy, Spencer, his younger sister and parents moved in to "his" house Mitch was devistated so Mitch came up with sneaky tricks to play on this family. His plan doesn't seem to work. Once he meets Spencer, they become extremely close. Mitch shares with Spencer how the divorce of his parents is bothering him, and Spencer tells Mitch about his older brother that had drowned at Bird Lake. This book is very touching, and is a great story about friendship.
I think by having a student do a dramatic monologue would be great to do for this novel. There are so many opportunities for a monologue that would connect with a young student.
I also think it would be a great idea for students to write the author of this book after they read it to ask questions or to express their feelings about a character or an event in the book.
October 6, 2008
Bird Lake Moon is a realistic fiction book. There are two main characters: Mitch and Spencer. The chapters switch between the point of view of Mitch and Spencer. They are two little boys who are going through some troubling times, and as a result, become neighbors for a short time during a summer. They find friendship in each other, and grow from being sad to happy.
Activities:
1) There are many words in this book that some children may not know themeaning of. While reading the book, the students will keep an ongoing list of words they don't know. They will look up the words in the dictionary, and write the definitions. After they have finished reading the book (they will have also completed their vocabulary list) they will write their own short story, incorporating the words on their list. The students would need to find at least seven words.
2)The students will make a Venn Diagram of the similar and different characterstics of Mitch and Spencer. The students will then have two options of writing assignments to choose from. They can choose one of the characters and write about that character's life ten years later (from that characters point of view). Or they can write their own story about two different characters who lives intertwine.
Activities:
1) There are many words in this book that some children may not know themeaning of. While reading the book, the students will keep an ongoing list of words they don't know. They will look up the words in the dictionary, and write the definitions. After they have finished reading the book (they will have also completed their vocabulary list) they will write their own short story, incorporating the words on their list. The students would need to find at least seven words.
2)The students will make a Venn Diagram of the similar and different characterstics of Mitch and Spencer. The students will then have two options of writing assignments to choose from. They can choose one of the characters and write about that character's life ten years later (from that characters point of view). Or they can write their own story about two different characters who lives intertwine.
August 5, 2009
I love Kevin Henkes, he's the Kitten's First Full Moon guy -- oh, and the Lily guy -- but I think I like his picture books better. This is a problem novel in the core sense of the word. Two boys move into lake houses next door to each other. The one kid's parents are getting divorced, and the other kid's parents are having a hard time coping with the death of a child. If you removed these kids' problems, there would be absolutely nothing going on with the book. On the plus side, Henkes is a charming writer and the book is very atmospheric, and speaking as someone who loved my own childhood lake house so much I grew up and bought one right down the street, it captures everything that is excellent about living on a lake.
Grade: B-
Recommended: Lake lovers? It's one of those books that is both lovely and rather dull.
Grade: B-
Recommended: Lake lovers? It's one of those books that is both lovely and rather dull.
September 16, 2012
I loved Olive's Ocean. And half the reason I love that book is because of Henkes writing, so I was more than okay sitting down with this little book.
His writing does not disappoint. Once again, it's lyrical and gorgeous and heartbreakingly wonderful in many instances. However, the story itself doesn't fully work for me.
The dual POV makes for a few interesting dynamics, but one of the characters in particular, didn't engage me as much as the other--a danger of writing dual POVs. And by the end, I didn't think the character had much of a change, or one worth noting. The emotional resonance just wasn't there.
Still, being a person that loves writing for the sake of writing, I very much enjoyed this read. But it's one of those times that if you only read one book by this author, make it Olive's Ocean. Just as lyrical, just as beautiful, but an even better story.
His writing does not disappoint. Once again, it's lyrical and gorgeous and heartbreakingly wonderful in many instances. However, the story itself doesn't fully work for me.
The dual POV makes for a few interesting dynamics, but one of the characters in particular, didn't engage me as much as the other--a danger of writing dual POVs. And by the end, I didn't think the character had much of a change, or one worth noting. The emotional resonance just wasn't there.
Still, being a person that loves writing for the sake of writing, I very much enjoyed this read. But it's one of those times that if you only read one book by this author, make it Olive's Ocean. Just as lyrical, just as beautiful, but an even better story.
February 21, 2009
brief note because I don't have much time to write a longer review--
as usual, henkes proves that he has incredible insight, especially into the emotions of children during difficult times, but there was something lacking about the book. his writing is definitely captivating, and i loved the two boys at the center of the story, and enjoyed seeing them evolve little by little. but at the end (and I literally finished 5 minutes ago), I was left feeling like there was something missing. maybe it wasn't long enough? maybe I wanted to read more about their lives/what happens next? might have expected more out of it than he really intended there to be -- maybe it was just supposed to be a snapshot of these boys' lives, their emotions, etc.
as usual, henkes proves that he has incredible insight, especially into the emotions of children during difficult times, but there was something lacking about the book. his writing is definitely captivating, and i loved the two boys at the center of the story, and enjoyed seeing them evolve little by little. but at the end (and I literally finished 5 minutes ago), I was left feeling like there was something missing. maybe it wasn't long enough? maybe I wanted to read more about their lives/what happens next? might have expected more out of it than he really intended there to be -- maybe it was just supposed to be a snapshot of these boys' lives, their emotions, etc.
October 12, 2009
I don't know why I find Kevin Henkes' novels so soothing that I will read them multiple times, because they all seem to center on quiet yet deeply upsetting and unsettling moments in the lives of kids on the brink of adolescence - a state of being which is so perilously vulnerable to begin with (and which he portrays so poignantly well). Maybe it's because everything seems to come out okay in the end; the protagonists are deeply grounded with a sense of their own self-worth that wins out over misunderstandings and small cruelties, and the adults in their lives are generally understanding and benevolent, if sometimes flawed.
Also, I just really love his prose style. I wish his novels were longer; I am always sorry when they come to an end.
Also, I just really love his prose style. I wish his novels were longer; I am always sorry when they come to an end.
December 10, 2017
I love the writing style. There are some cute moments, some sentimental moments, and some good character building. I did anticipate the book leaving me with a more profound feeling than it did, and so a slight wave of disappointment stung me when I reached the end. I felt the book was just okay, but it will not leave me with any significant lasting impression. I had higher hopes.
This book was originally recommended to me by a middle-schooler who enjoys reading, and loved this one. It will resonate more with anyone who has been a child of divorced parents.
This book was originally recommended to me by a middle-schooler who enjoys reading, and loved this one. It will resonate more with anyone who has been a child of divorced parents.
August 12, 2008
I love Kevin Henkes as a picture book writer. So how come all his recent fiction turns me off?
Somehow, despite the hopeful messages, his last few novels have felt dark and unhappy. Maybe he uses them to get out his angst before he goes back to Lily, Julius and company.
All I know is that for all their deep emotions, I find them curiously unmoving. And though I know teachers, librarians and other adults may love this book, I see little "kid" appeal here...
Somehow, despite the hopeful messages, his last few novels have felt dark and unhappy. Maybe he uses them to get out his angst before he goes back to Lily, Julius and company.
All I know is that for all their deep emotions, I find them curiously unmoving. And though I know teachers, librarians and other adults may love this book, I see little "kid" appeal here...
July 24, 2017
Bird Lake Moon is a contemporary fiction novel about two boys, Mitch and Spencer, each of whom is brought to Bird Lake due to different family tragedies. Although Mitch is the book's central character, the writing alternates between both Mitch and Spencer's perspectives. This realistic fiction novel includes three-dimensional characters and the themes of divorce and death are a reflection of the experiences of loss that are felt by many children and adolescence.
April 23, 2008
Two boys facing a difficult period in their lives meet at a lake near Madison where their families have cottages. 12 year old Mitch's parents are divorcing, and Spencer's family mourns the drowning death of an older child whom Spencer never knew. Henkes' style captures the inarticulate grief and longing of the boys perfectly. A superb novel.
September 14, 2017
This was an uncomfortable read.
I felt for the two boys, individually, as they dealt with family, death and divorce.
As they spent more time together, I felt afraid for the fragility of their friendship.
And I'm not sure how that turned out.☻
I felt for the two boys, individually, as they dealt with family, death and divorce.
As they spent more time together, I felt afraid for the fragility of their friendship.
And I'm not sure how that turned out.☻
April 14, 2018
I enjoyed this story so much, listening to it on CDs.
Two boys, with their separate families, stay the summer two houses close to each other. Each boy has family secrets and crises to deal with, and their relationship starts out not in total honesty, but they become friends. This is a very realistic story.
Two boys, with their separate families, stay the summer two houses close to each other. Each boy has family secrets and crises to deal with, and their relationship starts out not in total honesty, but they become friends. This is a very realistic story.
June 17, 2019
12 year old Mitch and 10 year old Spencer arrive at Bird Lake, each plagued with their own family issues and internal anxieties. Henkes understands his youthful protagonists so well. A summer of change and growth, by the lake. Peppered with believable secondary characters, well defined and recognizable by any preteen reader. Thanks Kevin for this book!
July 3, 2008
Haven't I already read this book? The plot is similar to that of STONE WORDS (characters aren't quite so over the top, but there's still a lot of tooth tapping) and the book had the feel of OLIVE'S OCEAN. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.
January 31, 2019
It was a decent book for 3rd-5th graders, but I feel the story resolved some issues too quickly and didn’t resolve the end enough. Great theme about never knowing what someone else’s problem is/only thinking about yourself.
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