Bird Lake Moon (Hardcover)

by Kevin Henkes (Author)
Key Phrases: Bird Lake, Papa Carl, Mitch Sinclair (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Mitch Sinclair, 12, is at Bird Moon Lake because his parents are divorcing. But there are tense moments with his grandparents, so Mitch fantasizes about moving into the empty house next door. Then Spencer Stone and his family, who own the cottage, arrive. Spencer and younger sister love the lake, but it’s also the place where their barely remembered brother, Matty, drowned at age four. Told in overlapping chapters, the story is spare. Mitch tricks Spencer into thinking Matty is haunting them; then he does something worse. After the boys become friends, the truth becomes both barrier and bridge. As in his Newbery Honor Book Olive’s Ocean (2003), every word counts, moving the story forward moment by moment. Yet the writing is as evocative as it is precise: fireflies are “pinpricks of topaz.” Emotions are just as carefully carved, turning characterization into portraiture; the children stand out in relief, against the deceptive tranquility of the lake. Some children may find the story too quiet or the ending too abrupt. But Henkes knows children and their secrets, and readers will lean close to hear the whispers. Grades 5-7. --Ilene Cooper

Product Description

Spencer thought the house might be haunted.

Mitch knew it wasn't. And he knew why.

The whole time Spencer and Mitch hung out together at Bird Lake that summer, there were secrets keeping them apart.

And maybe a secret knowledge keeping them together, too—together like members of the same tribe. Like friends.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (April 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061470767
• ISBN-13: 978-0061470769
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #172,333 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bird Lake Moon, September 21, 2008

By	Jordan K. Henrichs "teacher" (Cedar Falls, IA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My knowledge of Kevin Henkes, the author, never extended outside of his picture books (and what picture books they are!). I thoroughly enjoyed his fun titles like Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Chrysanthemum and for the longest time, I thought this was all there was to Kevin Henkes. I hate to admit it, but it wasn't until recently that I realized his novel Olive's Ocean was a Newbery Honor Book. I didn't even know he wrote novels (he's written 8)! So when I saw that the Wisconsin native's latest novel, Bird Lake Moon, was being generously reviewed as everything from a ghost story, to an edge-of-your-seat page turner, to a suspenseful summer adventure yarn, I couldn't get my hands on a copy fast enough.

The last thing Mitch Sinclair wanted to do this summer was stay with his grandparents at Bird Lake. If Mitch had it his way, his parents would NOT be getting a divorce and his family of three would be working out their problems together at home in Madison. Spencer Stone wanted nothing more than to come to his family's cabin on Bird Lake, but ever since his 4 year old brother drowned in the lake years ago, the getaway has lost its appeal. This summer however, Spencer is getting his wish as his family looks to return to Bird Lake and put their past behind them.

I should tell you up front, I have A LOT to say about this book and that this review will be very long. If you'd rather discover some of the plot particulars on your own, you might not want to read on. Some people would maybe think I give away too many SPOILERS. But if you too, are wanting to read this book, and are expecting some of the very same things I expected (a ghost story, a mystery, adventure), please read on, because you'll find that nothing I discuss is truly worthy of a SPOILER WARNING. The thing is, there is no mystery or suspense or summer adventure in this story and what really upset me upon reading it, despite the expectations I set, is that there very easily could have been.

I suppose I can maybe see where the "ghost story" comparisons come in. The only satisfaction Mitch gets out of Bird Lake is the uninhabited house that sits next to his grandparents'. When Spencer's family shows up, occupies the house, and ruins Mitch's own private hiding place, he feels that he can scare them away by making it look as if a ghost is haunting the house, unaware of the fact that the Stone's lost a family member in the lake years ago. This may sound a bit demented on my part, but that could serve as one heck of a premise, especially with the alternating point of view chapter style that Henkes uses here. I was excited about where this could go, but instead, it goes nowhere. In fact, Mitch confesses this and the cat is let out of the bag early on.

I guess once the story got going, I found myself somewhat intrigued by one small mystery. What happened to young Matty Stone, Spencer's dead brother? How did he die and why is Spencer's mother still having a hard time dealing with his death many years later? I'm not saying that moving on from such an event is an easy thing to do. A tragic loss such as this, probably stays with some people forever. But Spencer's mom just acts so darn peculiar in the book, that something HAS to be up. It's as if she's hiding something from us, and the rest of the family. Do we ever find out about Matt Stone's death? Nope. To lead us to believe that there may be more to the story, only to leave us hanging, is maddening to me, high expectations or not. This coming from an author who has not just a Newbery Honor, but a Caldecott Medal attached to his name.

So my last hope was in the `adventure' department. It was inevitable that these two troubled boys were going to meet, connect with each other, and have one good `ole rip-roaring summer. Wrong. In fact, nearly 70% of the book goes by before their paths even cross. And when they finally do meet, Henkes wants the reader to feel their friendship, but really gives us nothing. The boys play in the lake together. Once. That's all we get.

No ghost story, no mystery, no adventure. Just two boys facing grown-up problems and handling them on their own. Don't get me wrong, Henkes' writing is pretty strong in some of these moments, particularly Mitch's struggle coming to terms with his parents' eminent divorce and his father's infidelity. I think many children will be able to easily connect with Mitch and will have shared many of his same thoughts. The alternating chapter style, bouncing back and forth between each boys' point of view, was unique but since I didn't find Spencer to be all that interesting, his half of the book really disrupted the flow of this story.

In the end, I just couldn't get over my expectations, couldn't get over what this book could have been. I realize that I set those expectations and that if you come in with none, maybe you'll discover a nice little story about the effects of divorce on children. As for me, I hope the next time I read a Kevin Henkes book, that it stars Lilly and her purple, plastic purse.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IT will keep you on the edge of your seat , July 15, 2008

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bird Lake Moon (Library Binding)

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (7/08)

Have you ever been convinced something is wrong and found out later that it wasn't that way? Imaginations are great things, except that sometimes your imagination can run wild and make you think something entirely different than the truth.

Spencer is spending his summer vacation at Bird Lake. He is sure that there is a haunted house nearby. The house is rundown and he keeps finding clues that the house is haunted; but, is it just his imagination running wild, or is someone setting him up? Spencer makes a new friend in Mitch. Spencer spends a lot of time trying to convince Mitch that the house is truly haunted. But Mitch seems too skeptical to come around to Spencer's way of thinking. Does Mitch know something that Spencer doesn't?

"Bird Lake Moon" is a great summer read. The two boys are spending the summer at Bird Lake. They are doing all the normal stuff that boys do during a vacation but there's a mystery to be solved while there. There are many adventures around the lake to keep the boys occupied.

If you like mysteries and spooky old things, you will love "Bird Lake Moon" by Kevin Henkes. I'm sure he talks from experience when describing young boy's adventures. It is no surprise that Mr. Henkes is an award-winning author. He will keep you on the edge of your seat and entertain you from cover to cover. When you see the moon out in the sky this summer, think of all the fun you could have if you visited Bird Lake!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Teacher's Perspective, September 9, 2008

By	S. White "Read2Learn" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This piece of Contemporary Realistic Fiction contains several deep themes including death, the development of moral character, sibling relationships, and friendship. The story would be a classic person vs. self conflict, but also contains a bit of person vs. society because of Mitch's current family situation.

I could relate to Mitch's inner struggles as he attempted to right his own wrongs to save his friendship. I think everyone has experienced the remorse that follows bad choices and the inner tug-of-war that follows. We've all asked ourselves, "How do I make this right?" I also thought the contrast between the two families' dynamics was intensely interesting and thought provoking. The differences in the personalities of the two main characters could often be traced back to their prior family experiences.

This book would be perfect for literature circles in the classroom. Small groups of students would benefit from discussing Mitch's struggle to develop moral character and the implications of his impulsive decision making. In addition, I woud keep this book handy for students encountering divorce and encourage them to think about how Mitch grows and develops through his family's changes.