An author study of Kevin Henkes, in which his books are outlined as a whole and a few of his books are examined in detail.

1. KEVIN HENKES:
AN INTRODUCTION
Materials for Children
November 21, 2014By Kate Reid

2. Table of Contents
 Brief Biography
 Books by Kevin
Henkes
 Novels
 Picture Books
 The Year of Billy
Miller
 Olive’s Ocean
 Junonia
 Words of Stone
 Conclusion

3.  Born 1960 in Racine, Wisconsin
 Graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison
 Studied at School of Education’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center
(CCBC)
 Published first book, All Alone, in 1981 by Greenwillow Books
 Writer and illustrator
 Published 35 picture books and 12 novels
 Currently lives in Madison, WI with his family
 “It should be said: Kevin Henkes is a genius” (Handy, 2007).
 “One of the best writers of contemporary picture books is Kevin
Henkes” (Zalewski, 2009).
Who is Kevin Henkes?

4. Honors and Awards
 Newbery Honor (2014): The Year of Billy
Miller
 Caldecott Medal (2005): Kitten’s First Full
Moon
 Newbery Honor (2004): Olive’s Ocean
 Caldecott Honor (1994): Owen
 May Hill Arbuthnot Lecturer (2007)
 Regina Medal (2013)

5. Novels by Kevin Henkes
The Year of Billy Miller
(2013)
2014 Newbery Honor
Junonia (2011)
Bird Lake Moon (2008)
Olive’s Ocean (2003)
2004 Newbery Honor
The Birthday Room
(1999)
Sun & Spoon (1997)
Protecting Marie (1995)
Words of Stone (1992)
The Zebra Wall (1988)
Two Under Par (1987)

6. Picture Books by Kevin
Henkes
 Little White Rabbit (2011)
 My Garden (2010)
 Birds (2009) Illustrated by L. Dronzek
 Old Bear (2008)
 A Good Day (2007)
 So Happy (2005) Illustrated by A. Lobel
 A Box of Treats (2004)
 Kitten’s First Full Moon (2004)
 2005 Caldecott Medal
 Oh! (1999) Illustrated by L. Dronzek
 Circle Dogs (1998) Illustrated by D.
Yaccarino
 Good-bye, Curtis (1995) Illustrated by
M. Russo
 The Biggest Boy (1995)
Illustrated by N. Tafuri
 Shhhh (1989)
 Jessica (1989)
 Once Around the Block (1987)
Illustrated by V. Chess
 Grandpa & Bo (1986)
 Bailey Goes Camping (1985)
 Return to Sender (1984)
 Margaret & Taylor (1983)
 Clean Enough (1982)
 All Alone (1981)

7. Mouse Books by Kevin
Henkes
 Penny and Her Marble (2013)
 Penny and Her Doll (2012)
 Penny and Her Song (2012)
 Lilly’s Big Day (2006)
 Lilly’s Chocolate Heart (2003)
 Julius’s Candy Corn (2003)
 Wemberly’s Ice-Cream Star
(2003)
 Owen’s Marshmallow Chick
(2002)
 Sheila Rae’s Peppermint
Stick (2001)
 Wemberly Worried (2000)
 Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
(1996)
 Owen (1993)
 Chrysanthemum (1991)
 Julius, Baby of the World
(1990)
 Chester’s Way (1988)
 Sheila Rae, the Brave (1987)
 A Weekend with Wendell
(1986)

8. In addition to Henkes’s award-winning and much loved
picture books, every library should have at least a few of
his novels to share with children. The slides to follow will
examine four of his books for older readers.
Novelist for Newbery-Aged Readers
 “Books are important and powerful. I truly believe that they can help shape
young lives. They can help one learn empathy, increase understanding of
other people and ideas in a time in which intolerance is pervasive. They can
provide ballast in an unpredictable world. They can also provide escape and
be pure fun – no small feat” (Henkes, 2007, p. 23).
 “He was and is able to write in an endearing way that captures the wonder,
awe, emotions and feelings of children in various situations, and allows adults
to relate to and remember what it felt like to experience the world as children”
(Kritzler-Egeland, 2012, pp. 103-104).
 “Henkes’s gift, or one of them, is that he retains a keen understanding of what
those molehills look and feel like when you’re small and powerless and
everything around you is fresh, electric and, for the most part, inexplicable”
(Handy, 2007).

9. Words of Stone (1992)

10. REVIEWS
AWARDS
 “Motifs and concrete details add richness and
depth to the story. A beautifully written, rich, and
tender novel” (Horn Book Guide, n.d.).
 “Henkes is a master of the picture book, where he
has learned marvels of economy; every sentence
here [in Words of Stone] is telling, but never
obtrusively so. His characters live, lingering in the
memory. An outstanding book, one of the year’s
best” (Kirkus Review, 1992).
 ALA Notable Children’s Book
 Horn Book Fanfare
 Publishers Weekly Best Book
 School Library Journal Best Book
 New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for
Reading and Sharing
 American Booksellers Association “Pick of
the Lists”
 Library of Congress Children’s Book of the
Year

11. Words of Stone: Appeals to Young
Readers
 Authentic child characters (Blaze and Joselle)
 “The author’s respect for the complexity of young
people’s lives is apparent in this outstanding novel…”
(Noah, 1992).
 Respect for the complexities of childhood
 Genre: contemporary realistic fiction
 Realistic setting, plot, and characters
 Elegant and readable style
 True-to-life emotions
 Themes of the power of friendship and the comfort
and strength derived from family
“Blaze took a deep breath. Summer afternoons on the hill smelled of
heat and dirt and grass and weeds and laziness. And – lately – of
vigilance, caution, suspense. Blaze felt like an alarm clock just waiting to
go off” (Henkes, 2005b, p. 40).

12. Olive’s Ocean (2003)

13. REVIEWS
AWARDS
 “All of Henkes’s strengths as a fiction writer –
economy, grace, humor, respect for his
characters, a dramatist’s eye for gesture, and an
underlying good-naturedness – are given
wonderful play here” (Ellis, 2003).
 “Rich characterizations move this compelling
novel to its satisfying and emotionally authentic
conclusion. Language is carefully formed,
sometimes staccato, sometimes, eloquent, and
always evocative to create an almost breathtaking
pace” (Salvadore, 1992).
 Newbery Honor Book
 New York Times Bestseller
 ALA Notable Children’s Book
 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
 Booklist Editors’ Choice “Top of the List”
 Horn Book Fanfare
 Publishers Weekly Best Book
 NY Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading &
Sharing
 New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist

14. Olive’s Ocean: Young Readers Will
Love It
 Strong characterization and character development (Martha)
 “Henkes characters never lack for the inner resilience that comes from
a grounding in the ultimate decency of family. Characters and setting
are painted in with the deft strokes of an experienced artist. Few girls
will fail to recognize themselves in Martha” (Kirkus Review, 2003).
 Age appropriate approach to concepts of death, romance,
betrayal, life
 Dashes of humor
 Genre: contemporary realistic fiction
 Authentic settings, plot, and characters
 Evocative language appealing to the senses
 Authentic emotions expressed
 Themes of the security of home and family alongside the
search for independence and maturity
“[Martha] was filled with such love and longing and happiness and
sorrow (not bravery, definitely not bravery) that she grabbed her
grandmother’s shoulders and squeezed with all her might” (Henkes,

15. Junonia (2011)

16. REVIEWS
“Henkes’ deceptively economical language is rich and
complex, cognizant of the ways that the world of
adults reveals itself to children, aware of the emotional
weight of objects” (Kirkus Review, 2011).
“As in his previous novels, Henkes’s omniscient
narrator lends an air of detachment to the telling, even
as he describes the action and Alice’s feelings.
Secondary characters are lightly drawn, descriptions
of the island are lyrical, and the conflict is gentle….
[A] quiet, interior novel” (Orlando, School Library
Journal, 2011).
“Henkes adopts a formal ‘telling’ voice in his narrative,
reassuring if slightly austere. The result is the
opposite of a high-concept book, its power not in an
overall idea or conflict but in a fully realized, respectful
portrait of a childhood milestone” (Ellis, Horn Book
Magazine, 2011).

17. Junonia: A Harder S(h)ell
 Fully realized lead character, though less likable
(Alice)
 “Very few writers have such a keen understanding of the
emotional lives of children; here Henkes is at the top of
his game” (Kirkus Review, 2011).
 Secondary adult characters are less fully developed
 Introspective, emotion-driven book
 Genre: contemporary realistic fiction
 Respect for young people’s milestones and feelings
 Figurative language
 Themes of the security in family, comfort in a
treasured place, accepting others, and the road to
independence“Alice had been thinking that the surface of the water was like glossy, peaked blue-
green icing sprinkled with truckloads of sugar. Now, she had to remind herself to
breathe. She was dizzy and slightly afraid. Her hands were clenched. What was
wrong? This had never happened to her before. She’s always loved the bridge,
loved the feeling of being suspended, like a bird between the mainland and the

18. The Year of Billy Miller

19. REVIEWS
AWARDS
 “Filled with heart, smarts, humor, and a boy-centric
p.o.v. that is almost impossible to pin down, Henkes
has finally done for the chapter book set what he’s
been doing for the picture book readers for years.
He’s created a character for the ages.” (Bird, 2013).
 “Nuanced and human, this quiet novel takes aim
squarely at the everyday difficulties of a specific
segment of growing up and finds its mark with
tender precision” (Barthelmess, 2013).
 “The book’s clear structure, concrete images, and
just-challenging-enough vocabulary are smartly
attuned to emerging readers, and its warmth,
reliable situations, and sympathetic hero give it
broad appeal” (PW, 2013).
 Newbery Honor Book
 Horn Book Fanfare
 ALA Notable Children’s Book
 School Library Journal Best Book
 Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book

20. The Year of Billy Miller: A
Homerun Hit
 Strong characterization and character development
(Billy and Sal)
 Filled with humor, insight, and good-naturedness
 Genre: contemporary realistic fiction
 Absolutely authentic settings, mini-adventures, and
characters
 Beautifully written, well-structured, pitch-perfect
imagery
 “To point out that the writing in this book is superb is akin to
pointing out that the air helps one to breathe. It’s obvious”
(Bird, 2013).
 Authentic emotions expressed and respected
 Themes of the security of home and family alongside
the search for confidence
“Explosions like little volcanoes were going off inside him.
He felt wonderful. Maybe, he’d never felt better” (Henkes,
2013, p. 229).

21. Concluding Thoughts

22. Commonalities in Henkes’s
Novels
 Rich, deep characterization
 Appreciative insights on the emotional life of children
 Tone: respectful with doses of humor
 Well-paced, balance of action with internal thought processes
 Usually with just enough conflict and action
 Foreshadowing grabs the readers attention, adds element of
suspense
 Figurative language, creative and skilled use of literary devices
 Importance of grandparents
 Theme: comfort, love, security in family and home
 Theme: road to independence and maturity
 Theme: finding inner strength

23. Words Used by Reviewers to Describe
Kevin Henkes’s Novels

24. Homes are “reliable, unfailing. People, in real life and in books,
go home, whatever and wherever it might be. Home. It’s a
likely place…” (Henkes, 2007, p. 24).
Kevin Henkes’s novels give young readers a
sanctuary - a home away from home.
“After catching her breath, she opened the
front door and stepped into the familiar light
of the entryway. Everything was safe here,
stamped on her heart: the noises, the
smells, the look and feel of each room. And
even though she hadn’t gone far or been
gone long, she needed to say it, for her own
sake, and she did so, loudly: ‘I’m home.’”
Olive’s Ocean, 2005a, p.
217

25. “Books as shelter. It seems as though books can
provide the same basic things a house can:
protection. Safety. Comfort. When you’re lost in a
book, it doesn’t matter if you’re the most popular
kid in class. Or if you’re the smartest. Or the best
basketball player. Or if you hate your brother. Or if
you’re lonely and filled with a certain despair. What
matters is the book and the world it brings you”
(Henkes, 2007, pp. 14-15).
For teaching guides and more on Kevin Henkes’s novels,
please visit: http://www.kevinhenkes.com/reading/novels/