This book is a very exctiting and can relate to all audiences. This book has adventure, excitement, and mistories. ( )

This book motivates reading because it presents real-life issues, experiences, fears, hopes, etc. The reader can identify with the main character and the things that she goes through throughout the novel.

This book is great for girls in grades five through 8 and is a wonderful coming of age book that appeals to girls of this level. I believe this would motivate young women to continue reading for enjoyment because it is a book that they can relate to. Martha Boyle is a young girl who experiences the death of a classmate and her first kiss. Many times at this age children, in general, are coming to terms with what death is. Martha deals with this for the first time and we get to see how it affects her and how she deals with it. She can’t quite seem to talk to anyone about it, which is how many young girls also feel. Martha also receives her first kiss, which she was tricked into. It is a terrible way for a girl to get her first kiss, but it also very relatable. At this age, many girls are also getting their first kiss, so this book helps to learn how to deal with these emotions and feelings.

This book is controversial to use in the classroom, however I think it is a great book to use to have a good classroom discussion. Getting the students to talk about death in the classroom might open up the dialogue at home. ( )

Olive’s Ocean is a book about Martha, a twelve year old girl who faces the death of her classmate, Olive. Martha ‘s family is planning a summer vacation to their grandmother’s (father’s mother ) home in Cape Cod near the ocean.

Olive’s mother stops by Martha’s house to give Martha a page from Olive’s journal. After reading the page, Martha discovers that Olive shares the same secrets – wants to be a writer and one day visit The Atlantic Ocean.

Martha strolled her baby sister Lucy to the accident scene. Martha engraved Olive’s name on the curb.

Martha talks with her grandmother Godbee, finding out they both like to write, along with Martha’s father. Martha spent times on the ocean where she almost drowned, but also collected a jar and placed ocean water in it to bring back to Olive’s mother.

Martha’s older brother Vince spent time visiting the Manning brothers. Martha began to like Jimmy, but learned that Jimmy was using her for the film he was making. Martha felt betrayed after Jimmy telling her the kiss was a bet. Martha and Tate began to like each other. Tate gave Martha a goodbye gift – a note and the tape.

Once home, Martha visits Olive’s mother’s home and found out she no longer lives there. She sits on the step where Olive use to sit and used a brush to write Olive’s name with the Olive’s Ocean she had brought for Olive. Olive realized that it was good to be home.

This is a coming of age story about a young girl. The main character, Martha, is deeply affected by the death of a fellow student, Olive, whom she barely knew. The only connection she has to her is through a page from Oliv'es journal. She goes to on family vacation to the beach at her Grandmothers. There she learns to deal with boys, family, friendship and the struggles of dealing with death. Like most Newberry's its a very realistic story. It was well written and I enjoyed it. It's something I would've read when I was a young adult. Many young adults would be about to relate to this book. ( )