Bird Lake Moon

Henkes, Kevin. 2008. Bird Lake Moon. New York: Harper Collins.

Bird Lake Moon starts off with an eerie feel. Mitch’s parents are getting divorced. He and his mother are planning to spend the summer with his grandparents at their home on Bird Lake. Spencer’s family is planning to spend some time at Bird Lake too. Both boys’ families are touched with sadness and a hint of mystery. There are secrets in these placid lakeside cottages, “a shiver went through Spencer and wouldn’t go away, as if a ribbon of ice had been tied to his spine.” Spencer and Mitch must come to terms with what is real and what is not. This is complicated by the story’s tagline, “Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Ultimately this is a tale of two boys, of friendship, of growing up, of moving on.

Bird Lake Moon’s chapters alternate between views of Mitch and Spencer. The families, particularly Spencer’s younger sister, Lolly, are well-developed and believable. This is a thoughtfully written novel with an element of mystery that makes it a real page-turner.