Olives Ocean

by Kevin Henkes

Japanese edition of the Newbery Honor Award book (2004) 'Olive's Ocean' by Kevin Henkes, a poignant story about a girl suddenly aware of her world after the death of a classmate she knew little about, but was very much alike to. Eye opening coming of age story. Translated by Daita Akako. In Japanese. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.

Genres: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Coming Of Age, Banned Books

175 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Kevin 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.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Olive Barstow was my daughter. I was her mother."
Martha heard herself gasp. A small, barely audible gasp.

Olive was just a girl in Martha's class, until the accident happened and she was ripped from this world.

The woman reached into the pocket of the odd smock she was wearing and retrieved a folded piece of paper. "But I found this in her journal, and I think she'd want you to have it."

In the journal entry, Olive details her hopes - her desires to become a writer, to see the ocean, and to maybe even get to know Martha. In life, Olive was painfully shy and sometimes teased for it.

Instantly, Martha feels like the wind was knocked from her. But then she's whisked away on her family's yearly summer vacation to visit her grandmother, nicknamed Godbee.

“Now smile a real smile for me so I know you`re not suffering inside.”

But this vacation feels different from all the others she's been on - Martha cannot get Olive out of her head. What would it have been like to be Olive's friend? Why didn't she try to reach out sooner? How could something like that happen to someone her own age?

"The ocean made her feel insignificant and slightly afraid, but in an exhilarating way."

As Martha processes her grief, she finds herself reaching out in new ways, learning things about herself, and becoming a new person entirely - though part of her will always be a little girl.

"And at that very minute, what was inside her head and heart made her feel as though there was no one else in the whole world she would rather be."

A librarian friend recommended this one to me and I tore through it in a single afternoon.

Normally, I'm really not into books that deal with death and dying - the world is sad enough as it is - but honestly? I'm so glad I read this one.

What really stood out to me is how perfectly Kevin Henkes captures the experience of a twelve-year-old girl on the cusp of being a teenager. The emotional high, embarrassing lows, the push-pull with the parents, crushes, and grief management - it was all there. I'm so impressed.

Martha was such a unique character to follow - the way she felt everything so strongly and fully - really took me on a ride with my emotions.

And the plot - it was rather meandering, but I feel like that worked really well. This book is about understanding grief, growing up, and figuring out who you are - and those processes aren't always linear. The require a bit of muddling to figure out.

Overall, was a strong, well-written books that just perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be a tween.

[John Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt coming of age novel. Martha and Olive could have been friends. They went to the same school, but never actually talked. When Olive drowns, Martha becomes somewhat obsessed with the friendship that never happened. When she goes on holiday with her family to the ocean, she negotiates friendships with the support and help of Godbee, her grandma. Lovely story, sad but real. 4+ stars for me.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Olive's Ocean is a Newbery Award winner, it is also a challenged book. It is about a girl named Martha who takes a trip with her family to visit her grandma at the end of summer vacation. Before they leave, Martha has a strange visitor, Olive's mother. Olive, an extremely shy girl in Martha's class, had recently passed away after being hit by a car while riding her bike. Martha knew who Olive was but had never really talked to the girl. Neither did anyone else at school except to tease her. Olive's mother gave Martha a piece of paper from Olive's journal. When Martha read it, she was shocked to discover that Olive wrote that Martha was the nicest kid in the entire class. Olive hoped they could become good friends the next year or during the summer. Also, Olive dreamed of seeing the ocean and being a writer. Martha had recently decided she was going to be a writer, and she hadn't even told her best friend yet. Martha's grandma lived by the ocean, so she would be seeing the ocean soon. There were so many strange coincidences between Martha and this girl she hardly knew. She couldn't get Olive out of her mind. She kept thinking about her on the airplane and all of the way to her grandmother's house. Martha's brother, who is one year older than Martha, spends most of his time with the Manning brothers, who live near the grandma's house. Martha's parents mostly look after her two-year-old sister, so Martha spends a great deal of her time talking to her grandma. Martha and her grandma have a very close relationship, and Martha tells her grandma she wants to be a writer. She begins writing a story about Olive, but then stops because she cannot come up with a story that she felt was good enough for Olive. Also while she is staying with her grandma, she has some confusing, exciting, embarrassing, and infuriating encounters with two of the Manning brothers. However, throughout the entire trip, Martha cannot stop thinking about Olive and how much she wanted to see the ocean. Finally, she comes up with a plan to take back a baby food jar full of ocean water and give it to Olive's mother. Martha called the jar Olive's Ocean. However, when she arrives back home, Olive's mother has moved. So Martha takes a paint brush and paints Olive's name on the cement steps of her old house with the ocean water until all of the water was gone. Then Martha said good-bye and proclaimed that if she knew Olive now, they would be friends. This book is probably at upper elementary level.

This book is only challenged because of the offensive language throughout the book. There are around eight words that could be considered offensive, such as damn and piss. It was also challenged because it was sexually explicit. However, I did not notice anything in the book that was sexually explicit except for maybe the time when Martha's brother called his parents' good morning kisses as "Morning Sex Behavior." I could see why some parents wouldn't want their children reading a book with offensive language, but children hear it all of the time from the media and the people around them. The book's plot was fine. There would be no problem with the book if the author had simply left out the offensive language. I didn't even feel it wasn't even necessary for the plot or character development, so I'm not sure why it was included. Personally, I would not have my students read this book. I thought the book was good but not good enough to take the chance of making some parents upset and angry.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of young adult fiction, and it's not because I don't like it. What I have read in this genre I have liked, and there are young adult authors doing stuff in the genre that is phenomenal. I just haven't read much of it. I'm not sure why.

I think part of the problem, for me, is that it is such a huge genre. Young adults are a strong and powerful demographic amongst book-buyers. I'm actually an oddball: adult male. As a demographic, we simply don't buy, or read, a lot. Most of the books that are being published are being targeted towards children of toddler age to late-teens. Just go to your local bookstore and see: one of the largest sections in the store is almost invariably the children's area, which often includes a large section devoted to teens. And within that large genre of "young adult" are the many subcategories: teen romance, teen fantasy, teen action/adventure, teen nonfiction. Many of these cross over into each other ("Twilight", for example, is both teen romance AND teen fantasy), befuddling the whole issue for us adults. It's such a huge genre, I simply don't know where to start.

Thankfully, my wife and I recently did something that helped me become a more discerning consumer when it comes to books and helped me figure out a starting point for young adult fiction: we had a kid. A little girl, to be exact.

I can only speak for myself, and as a guy, when I say that I honestly didn't read a lot of "girl" fiction growing up. Other than some Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary, there was a whole slew of books I ignored on bookstore shelves. The covers clued me in. They usually had pictures of girls looking in mirrors or standing on the beach or rocking out with their other girlfriends with their Walkmans (Yes, I'm dating myself). I had no interest in these books, because they most likely involved stuff like dating and menstruation and tear-jerky death-bed scenes of beloved grandparents. My tastes ran more toward "Choose your own adventure", Encyclopedia Brown, and books with spaceships and aliens on the cover.

But I have a little girl now, and it's been an exciting prospect putting together a collection of books that she will, hopefully enjoy. Right now, it's mostly picture books, but I have started thinking about the future and some of the books that she may encounter in her middle school and high school career. Thanks also to my wife, who has introduced me to a wide variety of books that I had either never wanted to read or never knew existed. She proudly admits to having read most, if not all, of the Babysitters Club series. She read a few Sweet Valley High books, too. These books literally terrify me...

So, I started simple.

I picked up a random book that looked like it would appeal to girls but that wasn't so "in-your-face" girly, if you know what I mean. While it was written by a man (possible red flag), it was also a Newberry Honor Book. I knew that the Newberry Awards awarded the best in children's and young adult fiction, so that showed promise. I honestly didn't know what to expect. To be honest, I didn't expect much. What could be that profound about middle school age kids? I've taught middle school. They are mostly cretins. And/or flibberdijibbits. They are mostly silly and annoying creatures who have serious hormone issues.

I did NOT expect to like it as much as I did, nor be as profoundly moved by the story as I was. Kevin Henkes, the author of "Olive's Ocean", has created a short but powerful, and sweetly honest, little novel about a young girl dealing with a myriad of adult issues all thrown at her at once.

The protagonist is 12-year-old Martha Boyle, who is about to go on family vacation to visit her grandmother. Just before leaving, she is visited by the mother of a young girl in her class who recently tragically died in a car accident. Martha did not know Olive Barstow well. They were friendly but not friends. Martha rarely ever talked to her. Olive's mother gives her a letter written by Olive, who says some very nice things about Martha in it, including how she would like to be a writer like Martha.

This letter haunts Martha for the rest of the novel, most especially because she has only recently decided that she wants to be a writer. She has not shared this fact with anyone, including her best friend or her parents, let alone some girl she barely knew. How did Olive know?

As if that wasn't enough to worry about, Martha starts to have feelings for Jimmy Manning, a boy she has known for years but has never looked at in any boyfriend-girlfriend kind of way. Weird.

Add to the mix slightly dysfunctional but loving parents, a grandmother who repeatedly hints that she may be dying, a yucky older brother, and an annoying little baby sister.

There is much to love in this book. Henkes has the rare ability to say a lot with a few words. Indeed, his short chapters (some are no more than a paragraph) and beautiful poetic prose make the story flow wonderfully and is perfect for telling Martha's sweet story of growing up and dealing with death and family and love.

This is definitely a book that I will gladly put on my daughter's shelf when she is old enough to appreciate it, and I'd recommend it for any young middle school age girl.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha Doyle was a just an average girl until a classmate of hers named Olive died in an accident. Olive's mom brings Martha a journal page of Olive saying"She is the nicest girl in my class." From that day on, Martha just couldn't stop thinking about Olive. She and her family visits their granny Godbee, meets Jimmy Mannings and more. It's really easy to reveal what's going to happen next, but the story flowed really well and I think Martha's feelings were very well-expressed and described. It's not a big book, it's sweet and simple. Anyone who doesn't have much patience reading big books should start out with this one, I am sure you won't regret it.

[JimZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a good read. However, it’s really for young adolescents. It won the 2004 Newbery Honor.

It’s about a 12-year-old girl, Martha Boyle, who only knows another 12-year-old girl. Olive Barstow, in passing, but we learn in the first chapter that Olive got hit by a bike near her house and died. Olive left a note for Martha that was in her journal -- apparently Martha was the only one who showed her any kindness in school. The note said that in the next grade (next year) she would like to become friends with Martha. Martha is touched by the note and doesn’t quite know what to do about it. What can be done? Olive is dead. Plus, she is headed out with her brother and little sister and parents to visit her grandmother who loves near the Atlantic Ocean.

It could have gotten sappy near the end but it didn’t, which pleased me. It didn’t treat young adolescents as if they were morons. There were a couple of loose ends at the end of the story where the reader was left wondering what happened to Persons A and B in the book, but hey, that’s life! I think it’s a good book for young adolescents to read.

I’d say for a YA book, it is 3.5 stars which rounded up is 4 stars in my book!

Review;
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[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been on my list of books to read for a long time, and it was an excellent and very quick read. I didn't WANT to put it down and go to sleep last night, but had to finish it this morning. It's a very cozy family story, with tragedy threatening, as it often does in real life. I think the reason this took me so long to read is that it came out the year that my grandma died. From reading Henkes' SUN & SPOON, I knew that he writes superbly about relationships between grandparents and grandchildren, and that I wouldn't be able to take that poignancy for a few years. I was right to wait, but I'm glad that it was time for me to read this. I won't forget Martha and Godbee anytime soon.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kevin Henkes created a tale that so closely resembles that awkward time that many girls experience during adolescence. There is so much drama in everything that happens, and no one ever seems to understand your suffering, especially not your parents. In the character of Martha, many young girls will be able to find a piece of themselves, and realize that you can go on and you are not alone in the journey. I cannot believe that this is a frequently challenged book. There is so much to relate to in this story. I am not so old that I can forget how hard it feels to be a teenager with hormones that make you crazy and not realize that this book chronicles the time in a child’s life when they are recognizing adult things and are suddenly not so childish anymore in some aspects.

[~me~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. A tragic accident can sometimes bring you to see who you are and how you can be. That's what Oliva's Ocean teaches you along with the beauty of the word that float off every page.

[Ronyell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading many works by Kevin Henkes ever since I was a child, but they were all children’s books like “Chrysanthemum,” “Sheila Rae the Brave” and “Owen” and I had enjoyed every one! Now, this is the first time I have read one of Kevin Henkes’ works that is actually aimed at teens and the first book I have read from Kevin Henkes’ teen reads collection is “Olive’s Ocean!” “Olive’s Ocean” is a Newbery Honor book by Kevin Henkes and it details the turbulent life of Martha Boyle after the death of a schoolmate Olive Barstow. “Olive’s Ocean” may have some slow scenes, but it is truly a heartwarming experience for people who have lost their loved ones.

Martha Boyle was a normal 12-year-old girl until one day, a classmate named Olive Barstow was killed by a car while she was riding her bicycle on Monroe Street. Olive’s death has truly affected Martha, even though she never really knew Olive and so, to get Olive’s death off of Martha’s mind, Martha and her family (her father, her mother, her brother Vince and her baby sister Lucy) all decided to spend their summer vacation on Cape Cod where Martha’s grandmother, Godbee resided. However, Martha will soon realize that her life might change forever when she meets up with the Manning boys (Jimmy, Tate, Todd, Luke and Leo).

For a long while now, I have been reading many young adult books that ranged from young adult books dealing with a scary and freaky dystopian future like “The Hunger Games” or young adult books that deal with teenagers that have supernatural powers like “Vampire Academy” and “Harry Potter.” Now finally, I have come across a young adult book that is all about the dark yet realistic life of a normal teenager (or a preteen in this case) and how she deals with a troubling issue. I have always loved Kevin Henkes’ writing in his children’s books as they depict real-life situations in a cute and funny way, but his writing in “Olive’s Ocean” depicts real life in a brooding yet realistic way, which was quite a surprising turn for my reading experience! Kevin Henkes’ writing is truly sad yet beautiful at the same time as we truly feel for Martha Boyles’s situation about dealing with the death of a classmate that she barely know. I actually have that same experience that Martha had as many of my classmates in high school had died and even though I never knew any of them, their deaths really left a huge impact on me since I was upset that they would die at such a young age. What was so unusual about this book is that even though Olive Barstow’s name is in the title, the story really revolves around Martha Boyle and how she deals with Olive’s death and it is rare for me to see a book that has a character’s name in the title, but the book does not really revolve around that person, but about how their deaths affected the person who knew them. I also loved the way that this book was set up as the pages look like something that came out of a journal and each chapter details the daily activities that Martha does during her stay at Cape Cod. I really loved the relationship that Martha shares with her grandmother Godbee as it reminds me of my relationship with my grandmother and it was great that Kevin Henkes was able to showcase this relationship extremely beautifully.

The reason why I gave this book a four star rating is because there are some slow scenes in the story that made me feel a little bored about the direction that the story was taking. Sometimes the narrative would drone on a bit before it got to the interesting parts of the story. Also, I kind of wish there was more romance in this novel since I am a huge romance buff, but I felt that the romance in this book was not really needed since the main theme of this book was of Martha dealing with the death of Olive. Also, one of the reasons why this book was often on the banned books list is that it contains some strong language that is a bit strong for a young adult book, even though this would not bother me and it was only like one or two mild curse words.

Overall, “Olive’s Ocean” is a great story about dealing with the death of a loved one and how you have to enjoy life while you are still alive.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[The Dusty Jacket · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Martha Boyle and her family were leaving on their annual vacation to the Atlantic coast when a woman appeared on the Boyle’s doorstep. She introduced herself as Olive’s mother, one of Martha’s classmates who had recently been killed. She handed Martha a folded piece of paper from Olive’s journal. As Martha read the note written by a girl she barely knew, she was struck by just a few simple sentences: I hope that I get to know Martha Boyle next year (or this summer). I hope that we can be friends. That is my biggest hope. These kind words filled with expectation would alter Martha’s world view forever as she mourns a friendship that never was and never will be.

I raised my child on Kevin Henkes’ mouse books: Chester’s Way, Owen, Wemberly Worried, and others. Each helped me reinforce the value of friendship and the importance of acceptance, handling your emotions, self-reliance and many other life lessons. When I saw that Olive’s Ocean was a Newbery Honor book, I wasn’t really surprised. What DID surprise me was that it ranked 59th on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Challenged Books from 2000 to 2009 for its offensive language and sexual explicitness. No wonder Wemberly worried!

Despite the ominous label it carries, Olive’s Ocean is a rather innocuous coming-of-age story about a girl dealing with the customary pre-teen fare: first love, awkwardness, rejection, humiliation, and the constant struggle of trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to be. Pretty safe stuff, but Henkes does nudge the boundaries ever so slightly causing those few, all-important feathers to be ruffled.

The “sexually explicit” reference is a brief explanation to Martha by her older brother of why their parents seem overly affectionate one morning. It seems they were exhibiting “Morning Sex Behavior” and “when they do it in the morning” they get a bit lovey-dovey. Regarding the “offensive language”, there are instances of mild profanity, but nothing too over-the-top for the publisher’s recommended reading age of 10 and up. So, the big questions are: Are EITHER of these inclusions necessary to further the story or develop the characters? No. Could they have been excluded with little to no impact on the overall message? Absolutely. Would Henkes have omitted them if he knew the wrath that awaited him? Maybe. Maybe not. There’s no question that having your book banned instantly puts you on a reader’s radar, but clearly this was not his intent. All in all, these infractions (as most references go) are tame, but clearly remain unforced errors and prompt me to up the recommended reading age by a few years just to be prudent.

As far as stories go, this was a quick read and had several important messages about inclusivity and realizing that the world doesn’t revolve around your own personal cares and needs; however, I would have liked more Olive in Olive’s Ocean and feel that this was an opportunity wasted. The apparent connection between Olive and Martha stated in the synopsis doesn’t quite materialize in the actual book, and it would have been far more interesting if Olive’s story had been developed more deeply to show Martha’s slow and eventual evolution. Still, the targeted audience will find a nice and relatable story, while I was hoping for something a little bit more moving with a deeper and lasting message. I guess if I’m looking for these, I need to go back to the mouse stories.

[Jasprit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Olive’s Ocean tells the story of 12 year old Martha, who longs for the summer breaks, as this is the time she gets to spend most with her grandmother. But this summer things are different; firstly Olive a girl in Martha’s class unexpectedly gets killed, Martha feels really guilty as she didn’t really get to know Oliver properly. Then her dad decides he wants to go back to work and not be a writer anymore. She’s also worried that her grandmother won’t have much time to spend with her anymore as she’s getting older. Also what’s up with the Manning brothers does Jimmy really like her? So it’s all a lot to deal with for little Martha.

I really wanted to like Olive’s Ocean, being a Newbery honour book I thought I would, there were parts of the story which were quite moving and heart wrenching and my heart did go out to poor Martha, but at other times I felt I couldn’t connect with her character, I really don’t know why, because I’ve read similar sorts of books which I adored such as Jenny Han’s Shug and Twenty Boy Summer

I’m quite bummed for giving this book 2 stars as the other books I’ve read which were either Printz and Newbery winners or honours I really enjoyed and I gave them 4 stars or more. Unfortunately this book was a bit of a letdown for me.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kevin Henkes lives in Madison, Wisconsin, our city. Our daughter met him a couple times for book signings. At the first one, She was in her onesie pajamas, and I held her up, while Henkes signed her copy of Kitten's First Full Moon. He looked her in the eyes and said, "You sure are cute, but I bet you hear that everywhere you go." When our daughter was two years-old, she stood in a long line to have Henkes sign her copy of A Good Day. He was kind enough to take a photo with her. We love his picture books.

I saw a copy of Olive's Ocean at Border's Bookstore years back, when our daughter was still a wee one. I read the cover and thought it too tragic for a kid's book. I happened upon this copy for a small price and thought I'd give it a read.

Some passages were poignant. Martha Boyle was a likable character. The overall messages of kindness, understanding, importance of inclusion and connection with self and others are timeless.

[Megan Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my comfort book, i always go back to it no matter how old i get


3/26
hoped i would get tired & fall asleep but i read it all through the early morning till the sun rose (at least i can tell it rose behind the curtain). always a new feeling, a new discovery of myself, i see myself in martha & in olive. i see my family in her family. olive’s ocean means endless things.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Olive's Ocean. the story was very good and it was different then most books. one thing that was a little wierd was i read this book right after a 7th grader at our school passed away... it was a big coincedence for me. i would recommend this book to most everyone.

[Michelle Pegram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that sneaks up on you with its quiet beauty.

Told in first person narrative, it is the story of one summer in the life of twelve year old, Martha. Just before her family leaves for their yearly summer vacation at Godbee's, her 80 year old grandmother, house on the shore, Martha is paid a visit by the mother of a recently deceased classmate whom she did not know well.

Olive, the title character, is only heard from once in the novel and only through her voice in a diary page that her mother gives to Martha. In this page, Olive shares that one of her goals for the next school year is to get to know Martha because she is one of the nicest girls in the school.

Martha holds this information close and tries to make sense of it as she thinks about death - not just Olive's as her grandmother is very old - and her blossoming life.

There are beautiful moments with her grandmother, some romance, and a plethora of everyday family dynamics that are shared through Martha's maturing eyes. Along the way she experiences new things, both wonderful and devastating, and returns home with a new resolve about the person she hopes to grow into.

This would be a great book for middle school students to discuss themes like death, identity, and relationships. Martha, and Olive, declare a desire to be writers, which opens the possibility of a writing assignment in which students share what they hope to be when they are adults.

[Brigid ✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ironically, the same author that wrote "Lily's Purple Plastic Purse" has also written one of the most depressing books I have ever read--"Olive's Ocean". It tells the story of a girl who wanted to be friends with another girl named Olive. Unfortunately, Olive is now dead. It is only until after Olive's death that the protagonist receives a page of Olive's diary, and finds out that Olive also wanted to be her friend. The book is a fast read, written in a simplistic style. At times I thought it was a little too depressing, and there isn't much of a plot. But it isn't bad. I don't highly recommend it, but I do not discourage anyone from reading it, either.

[Lilly J · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was my worst of all time. It was about a girl named Martha and, Olive, a girl she hardly knew that died. They could have been friends so Martha was upset (I would be too). Then, she went to the beach and started kissing boys. It was really weird. I have no idea how this book won the Newbery Honor, it had a bad plot, her kissing boys on camera, and all the chapters were really short. Olive dying didn't need to be in the book, it was just to get people to read it. Kevin Henkes should just stick to writing picture books. This was my worst book of all time.

[alisonwonderland (Alison) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newbery Honor. Coming-of-age story. The tender feelings of a twelve-year-old girl.

I think that the summer I turned twelve and the subsequent year I spent in junior high school was truly one of the hardest years of my life. The details were different than Martha's experience, but her feelings felt familiar and very real.

[Stefani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martha travels with her family to her grandmother's house. She has a lot on her mind, from finding out that the nobody girl in her class thought that Martha was the nicest person to wanting to be a writer to the boys down the beach. All the while, she is learning about her grandmother and the importance of living while you can.

This is a sweet book. I strongly related to the granddaughter-grandmother connection. Otherwise, this was just a nice read. Martha is a character that many girls can relate to, with dreams of a career she enjoys and cute boys. Nothing special, but really nothing bad.

A good, clean teen read.

[Katherine Catmull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous & simple & moving. Everything a middle grade book can be at its best. It's about art and love and family and growing up and growing old and death. This book made me so happy.

[Nadia Uhlenhaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words for this book because they will do it no justice.

[Mariangel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not memorable, another book about a teenage girl discovering about life and about herself during a beach vacation.

[camilla :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75- loved.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook performed by Blair Brown

From the back cover - Martha Boyle and Olive Barstow could have been friends, but they weren’t. Weeks after a tragic accident, all that is left are eerie connections between the two girls, former classmates who both kept the same secret without knowing it. Now, even while on vacation at the ocean, Martha can’t stop thinking about Olive. Things only get more complicated when Martha begins to like Jimmy Manning, a neighbor boy she used to despise. What is going on? Can life for Martha be the same ever again?

My reactions
The intended audience for this novel is the middle-school crowd, and I think 9- to 12-year-olds would respond really well to it. Henkes did a good job of showing tweens on the cusp of growing up – conflicted between loving and wanting to be with family, and wanting to explore and go out on their own. Martha does a lot of thinking and worrying over what Olive is missing, whether her dreams are really her own, whether her grandmother will die soon, whether Jimmy really likes her, whether her father and mother are happy, etc. I like that she feels comfortable confiding (somewhat) in the adults around her and listening to their advice. I particularly liked the way her relationship with her grandmother is portrayed.

However, on the whole, this novel just didn’t do much for me. It was a perfectly good book, but not great. I do think that’s my failing, not the author’s. I’m just too much past the intended audience to appreciate it.

Blair Brown does a fine job performing the audio version. I thought she really brought the characters to life.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic Fiction; challenged due to "sexually explicit content and offensive language"

Olive's Ocean is a complex, yet short-term coming-of-age story where naivety and innocence tread in deep waters. Martha, the main character, is given a journal entry from a former peer (who has passed away) while visiting her grandmother one summer. Martha spends the summer viewing her life through the lens of Olive, and her slowly maturing mind battles thoughts of affections, death and acceptance.

I wouldn't use Olive's Ocean in a grade lower than 6th grade because of the mention of a brief use of sexual content. I do, however, think that it is appropriate for a 6th grade class because of the fluid relationships young children seem to go through, especially in early middle school. I think it could be a great book to offer as a choice for a book club in class, leading students in discussions about relationships, crushes, death of loved ones, regret, etc. I also think it would be cool to do an author study with this book and other novels by Kevin Henkes, such as Bird Lake Moon and The Birthday Room. Another way an educator could use Olive's Ocean is simply as a daily read-aloud to build fluency and interest in reading.

This was a WOW book for me because Martha reminded me of myself. I was taken back to many summers as a young girl, especially those involving what I then thought was heartache...but at the time, my heart was broken. I was coming-of-age, my innocence was slowly fading, it was a sad, awkward time when things had just started to become real and my heart had started to feel it's own pain.

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

Olive’s Ocean is an introspective, lyrical, heartwarming, honest, and evocative middle-grade novel about a change of one’s perspective and self-discovery.

Martha’s growth from an egocentric and insecure child to a more appreciative and thoughtful teenager is subtle, realistic, and satisfying. Her realization that "the world didn't revolve around her, that it was bigger than that, that it simply was, and would continue to exist with or without her" resonated with me deeply. Also, I especially enjoyed the connection between Martha and her grandmother, Godbee, and the portrayal of imperfect yet loving relationships between Martha and her siblings.

Like some of my favorite Kevin Henkes’s picturebooks, such as Waiting or Egg, Olive’s Ocean showcases the subtlety, economy, grace, and depth of Henkes’s writing. He says so much with just a few words, and there is so much left between the lines!

[Linda Lipko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Olive's Ocean is a 2004 Newbery Honor award winning book.
While many of the Newbery Medal and Honor books are insightful, this one zipped right on past, leaving me with a hollow feeling. The story is somewhat typical of a YA book wherein the main character has a coming of age experience that changes them, however, the characters in this book seem one dimensional and limp like.

Martha is 12 years old when she learns that her classmate Olive died in a bike accident leaving behind a journal wherein she mentions that while other classmates paid no attention to her, Martha was kind.

Martha and her family vacation at the cottage of her grandmother in New England. During this particular vacation, Martha is drawn to a young man who in turn leads her on and embarrasses her.

Martha has a wonderful relationship with her grandmother and as they spend time together, the beauty of the elder teaching the younger is a theme of the story.

All the events listed above were portrayed in a cookie-cutter fashion wherein the events are noted, stamped out and then moved along -- no sugar on the cookies, no fancy shape-- just the process of robotically going through the motion of doing a job.

Not recommended.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Kevin Henke’s picture books but wasn’t as fond of this chapter book.

There wasn’t anything awful in it and it was pleasantly short but there also wasn’t anything memorable or moving. To be honest, whatever the point was flew right over my head. (I am at home sick with the flu which is most likely affecting my ability to think.)

Olive is a girl in Martha’s class that gets hit by a car and dies. Martha thinks about this a lot because of a journal entry Olive’s mother brings her.

Martha’s family is lovely. Honestly my favorite scene was when the family was about to play a game and it was crazy and loud and super fun. It was so beautifully written.

I didn’t hate it and it was easy to listen to. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, nor would I read it to my fifth graders.

I’m not sure why it’s banned. There is some swearing and the older brother refers to his parents’ flirtations as “Morning Sex Behavior” but I don’t see how that would cause the book to be banned.

[Kiely · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my absolute favorite books as a teen, and it still holds up marvelously. I’ve loved this book for a myriad variety of reasons over the years, but the thing that still stands out about this story is the reminder that you never know how your actions are affecting someone else. The importance of doing the right thing and respecting the people around you and the fact that life is short and should be celebrated are other important themes within the book. Mostly, though, I just love Martha, and her story, and her ill-fated attempt to write a novel, and Tate, who only figured out the right thing to do the day before Martha left Rhode Island but figured it out nonetheless, and poor Olive, who we never meet properly but who lives on in Martha’s conscience and heart forever. This is a kid’s book, sure, but there’s so much more to it than just that. 🌊🌊🌊