Henkes, Kevin. Olive's Ocean

What I like about Kevin Henkes is that even in his picture books, he shows a very keen sense of how things feel, and how things feel when you're young--how monumental emotions seem.

This is a very quiet, slow, serious book. Martha and her family fly to the beach to see her grandmother; she likes a boy; she contemplates the death of Olive, a friendless classmate; she thinks about being a writer, and she writes.

All of this is very low-key, but it shows such respect and dignity for Martha and her feelings. Things are precisely, carefully observed, and they feel very real.

I enjoyed it a great deal, but it's a little plot-light, and books without much plot can be boring until you learn not to expect a plot (I have Japanese literature to thank for my acceptance of plotless books!) So I wish the Newbery judges would realize that just because a book has pirates and ninjas doesn't mean it can't also have Real Literary Value; this is a book that reminds me of Criss Cross, and there seems to be a certain sameness and conformity in the recent Newbery picks. Fortunately, there's enough there there to hang a plot on, even if it's a slightly skimpy one.