From: Beth Wright <bethlibrarian>
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 07:27:36 -0800 (PST)

Kevin Henkes' word choice is so careful in Olive's Ocean, starting with Olive's name: Olive, oh live, all of, Olive...

I also appreciate that Henkes never explains exactly why Olive thought Martha was so nice. Martha herself provides a possible explanation, when she remembers the classroom scene where she argues against her teacher's "most embarassing experience" assignment. She recalls that Olive looked appalled and she assumes Olive had heard about Martha's locker-side kissing episode; readers can guess Olive had some mortifying experience of her own that she dreaded retelling, and she saw Martha's intervention as an attempt to help Olive. I'm glad Henkes didn't find it necessary to spell things out any more overtly; it's one more way readers can complete the story themselves, as Ginny has said.

Beth Wright Youth Services Librarian Fletcher Free Library Burlington, Vermont

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Received on Fri 06 Feb 2004 09:27:36 AM CST