I am a big Kevin Henkes fan. He's the author and illustrator of great picture books, like Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, Sheila Rae, the Brave, Owen, and Wemberly Worried, just to name a few. But, he has also penned some well received novels for intermediate readers, 4th to 6th grade reading level. Bird Lake Moon is the first of these novels that I've read. I picked it up at the library since Olive's Ocean, his most highly acclaimed novel, wasn't in.
Bird Lake Moon fits best in the genre of realistic fiction. My favorite genre is fantasy, but this book would no doubt interest a great number of readers as the two main characters both boys cope with change in their very different families. The structure of the novel will likely be advanced for many readers as Henkes travels between two perspectives: 10 year-old Spencer and 12 year-old Mitch. Mitch and his recently separated mom are staying with his grandparents for the summer while the two cope with the coming divorce. Not all is calm since the home is quickly filled with fights. Spencer and his happy family are returning to a family cabin for the first time since his big brother drowned 8 years earlier. The double perspective structure is ideal to highlight the dispositions of "happy" and unhappy families, divorced parents and happily married parents. Overarching these differences are the challenges and frustrations that all people experience, especially 10 and 12 year olds, and the eventuality that things get better after a stressful period of time, but not entirely.
