Highly Versatile Henke

Kevin Henkes' MG Olive's Ocean, a Newbery Honor Book, follows 12-year-old Martha after she learns that one of her classmates - the titular Olive, who died in a bicycle accident - thought Martha was the nicest girl in 6th grade.

The news stuns Martha, because Olive was that girl in 6th grade whom the whole class ignored. Martha gulps down the revelation and digests it over the course of the summer, taking it along on her family's vacation like an invisible friend.

The slice-of-adolescent-life story aimed at 4th-6th grade readers (girls) is a very well written, age-appropriate, somewhat philosophical novel about mortality. Frankly, I think it could use a few more plot points and more conflict, both external and internal. But I'm not a MG expert, and it's hard to find fault with Henkes' work or track record. (They can't all be as good as Lilly!)

Henkes has said (in his website bio) "I like the variety of trying new ways to fill the pages between two covers." And in spite of my silly quibbles, I think he did a fine job filling the pages of Olive's Ocean.