Spring 2019, Wild Readers 5 discussion

For review #7 I decided to read Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes. This book was a sad but motivational book for students in the middle school level. The book talks about a story of a girl who passed away due to being hit by a car. The girls name is Olive. Martha, is the main character who was Olives classmate. One day before Martha went on vacation to her grandmother’s house who lived on the beach, Olive’s mom stopped by to drop off a page of the book that Olive had written. The page was about Martha. Olive spoke nothing but good things about Martha. She hoped that one day they could become friends. This page took an impact in Martha’s life, a positive impact. After reading what Olive had written about her, Martha decided that she also wanted to begin to write. She did not want to make it seem as if she had copied Olive so she kept it a secret. The book was based on what Olive’s life would’ve been like. A life that she deserved. After her trip, she knew if Olive was still alive, they’d be good friends. This book made me think about how much we take life for granted at a young age. Olive was a quiet and innocent student who would be picked on. No one gave her the opportunity to shine until she was gone. In my opinion, middle schoolers should read this to prevent bullying and to appreciate each other.