Bird Lake Moon

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)

Can a new friendship heal old wounds?

• Alternating Voices: Step into the minds of two boys, Mitch and Spencer, as this moving story unfolds from both of their perspectives.
• Coping with Divorce: Follow Mitch as he navigates the anger and confusion of his parents’ sudden separation while spending the summer at his grandparents’ house.
• Dealing with Grief: Join Spencer’s family as they return to Bird Lake for the first time since a tragic accident, confronting a past they’ve never been able to talk about.
• An Unlikely Friendship: Discover how two strangers, both feeling isolated and broken, find in each other the understanding and connection they need to start healing.

There are ghosts at Bird Lake, and they're haunting Mitch Sinclair and Spencer Stone. 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?

Either way, it is a summer that neither Mitch nor Spencer will ever forget.

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

“Henkes knows children and their secrets, and readers will lean close to hear the whispers.” - ALA Booklist (starred review)

“Superbly crafted . . . with humor and just the right amount of tension to make this a significant and highly readable book.” - School Library Journal (starred review)

“This quiet, beautifully told story deals delicately but realistically with the boys’ emotions.” - Kliatt (starred review)

“Henkes deftly locates Mitch’s pain and confusion, delivering a novel that’s quiet, nuanced, and redemptive.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Unpretentious, spare, and timeless in the way of summers by the lake.” - The Horn Book