Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes

Bird Lake Moon by Kevin Henkes

Told in alternating voices, this smart and engaging middle grade novel from the beloved Kevin Henkes is the story of two boys coming together in friendship as they struggle with family conflicts and tragedy.

There are ghosts at Bird Lake, and they're haunting Mitch and Spencer. Not the Halloween kind, but ghosts of the past. Memories of how life was before--before the divorce, before the accident. Can their ghosts bring Mitch and Spencer together, as friends? Or will their secrets keep them apart?

Mitch feels isolated at his grandparents' house and can't help hating his father, who walked out on him and his mom two and a half weeks earlier. Spencer's family has decided it's finally time to return to Bird Lake, years after his brother, Matty, drowned there. Both boys arrive at the lake scarred and fragile, but as they become friends, the sharp edges of their lives smooth out and, slowly, they are able to start healing.

"Superbly crafted. A 'must have' for every library." --School Library Journal (starred review)

"In a novel as tender as his acclaimed Olive's Ocean, Henkes probes the psyches of two boys facing family conflicts."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Two boys, two separate heartbreaks, and one unforgettable summer at Bird Lake.

• Alternating Voices: Experience the summer through the eyes of both Mitch and Spencer as their separate stories slowly intertwine.
• Dealing with Divorce: Follow Mitch as he grapples with anger and isolation after his father suddenly leaves the family.
• Grief and Loss: Join Spencer as his family confronts a painful past by returning to the lake where his brother drowned years before.
• A Story of Healing: A tender, character-driven novel about how the bonds of friendship can help smooth life's sharpest edges.

Kevin Henkes has been lauded for his work as both a writer and an illustrator, and he was awarded the Children's Literary Legacy Award for his contributions to children's literature. Caldecott Awards for Waiting and Owen; two Newbery Honors--one for Olive's Ocean and one for The Year of Billy Miller--and Geisel Honors for Waiting and Penny and Her Marble--all for Kitten's First Full Moon. Sun Flower Lion, A Parade of Elephants, Chrysanthemum, and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse are among his other works. Kevin Henkes shares a home with his family in Madison, Wisconsin.