Review
With sure, crystalline prose, Henkes discloses the breathless
suspense that even the shortest moment can contain, and the enormous courage
that loss demands. Young readers who plunge into these extraordinary
interlocking stories will discover mysterious, sad, and hopeful things about
themselves and the people they love.
A melancholy and often ominous sense of place suffuses Henkes' novel. The
chapters alternate between the points of view of two boys visiting Bird Lake for
the first time. The first is twelve-year-old Mitch, staying with his mother at his
maternal grandparents' home since his father left to pursue an affair. The second
is Spencer, accompanying his younger sister and parents on their emotional
return to the place where his brother drowned years before. Their parents'
ambiguous pain and the boys' anxiety about how it will affect their...
Beyond the Book
Preventing Drowning
In
Bird Lake Moon, the tragic drowning of Spencer's four-year-old
brother haunts his family during their return visit to Bird Lake. As we approach
the summer months, it is wise to ponder the following tragic statistics
presented by the
Orange County
Fire Authority:
"Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths to
children ages 14 and under. A temporary lapse in supervision is a common factor
in most drownings and near-drownings. Child drownings can happen in a matter of
seconds - in the time it takes to answer the phone. There is often no splashing
to warn of trouble. . . "
Even more sobering are the following facts about how and when drownings occur:
