The Birthday Room

By Kevin Henkes

Book Overview

Not just an ordinary birthday...

"Two of the things Benjamin Hunter received for his twelfth birthday took him completely by surprise: A room and a letter. The room was from his parents. The letter was from his uncle."

Ben was just two years old when he and his uncle, Ian, were last together, so Ben didn't remember him. And no one in Ben's family ever talked about the man. Then the letter arrived, changing Ben's life, and changing his family in unexpected ways. And there was the birthday room...

Multiple award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Kevin Henkes brings his insightful, gentle, real-world insight to middle grade novels, including:

Billy Miller Makes a WishBird Lake MoonThe Birthday RoomJunoniaOlive's OceanProtecting MarieSun & SpoonSweeping Up the HeartTwo Under ParWords of StoneThe Year of Billy MillerThe Zebra Wall

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688167330
• ISBN13: 9780688167332
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.7" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Birthday Room--What I think!

This book was about a boy who had to visit his uncle who had made tragic things happen in his life. Read to find out about what happened....trust me, it's a good book once you get into it! I would probably suggest this book to people 9 or 10+!

Gets better as the plot thickens

Yes, Yes, I know the title and the cover aren't that appealing, but once you get started, you'll finish. Benjamin Hunter was just 2 years old when he first visited his Uncle Ian and after that he never did visit again because of the accident (read to find out what the accident was). 10 years later on Benjamin's 12th birthday, Ben's parents give him a room as a present. A room. Ben is highly disappointed. That same day however he receives a letter from his Uncle Ian asking him to visit. Ben values the oppurtunity of the visit more than the room. Due to fights during their childhood, Ben's mother is hesitant. Finally she gives in and they are on thier way to his home. The rest of the book, you must read yourself. I think that all of Henke's books are family reads and should not be judged by their cover.