Olive's Ocean

Henkes, K. (2003). Olive’s Ocean. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Brief Annotation: Martha receives a mysterious letter from a classmate who was killed in a bike accident. The letter reveals that the girl, Olive, always wanted to be friends with Martha. Martha also discovers that they shared many similarities, both dream of being writers someday and living by the ocean. What does it all mean? Martha ponders these thoughts as she spends summer vacation at her grandmother’s seaside home. As the summer progresses, Martha gains a new perspective on her life as the childhood she knows begins to slip away and adulthood seems closer than ever.

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Grade Level: Grade 5 through 8

Readers who will like this: Young adults who like reading books with relevant characters, young adult readers who would benefit from reading a book that deals with mortality, aging, betrayal, parental/sibling issues; young adult readers who would benefit from a story with a strong main character

Response/Rating (1-4): 4, I really enjoyed reading this chapter book for young adults. The characters are familiar and it addresses the important issues that every young reader faces during their life. As a wonderful resource for further classroom discussions, the book allows the reader to think critically about difficult issues and learn from the characters.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: Do you feel it is important to read books that address the relevant issues that young adults face? Why or why not?

Reading Strategies Connection: Double entry journals (Yopp and Yopp, p. 80-81). As a during-reading activity, journal writing allows students to gain a clearer understanding of the book as well as to encourage personal thoughts regarding the material. Students will write meaningful quotes, passages or ideas on the left side of a two columned table, followed by reactions to the book material on the right side. This exercise allows students to identify content that they find interesting or meaningful to their own lives and journal entries may be shared or kept private.