A 2011 Newbery Honor Book | A 2013 Beehive Children’s Fiction Nominee
Written by Jennifer L. Holm
Turtle is the name of the eleven year-old girl in this story, and the name fits her. She is nicknamed Turtle by her mother because she has a tough outer shell. I loved her voice in this story and that of her cousin’s Beans and Kermit. Turtle is sent to Key West to live with her aunt while her mother works as a housemaid. She finds herself in the middle of a close-knit community with family she has never met. What happens during her hot, sweltering summer in Florida is a fun read that includes a hurricane and hidden treasure.
Review by Christine Fotheringham, Rolling Meadows Elem. Media Center
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
This is a good historical fiction book. This book takes place in Key West during the depression with an 11 year old girl named Turtle telling the story. Her mother has sent her to live with her aunt because the home where her mother is employed does not allow children. This story has sadness, humor, mystery, and adventure as Turtle learns about life in Key West with her cousins and friends. I really enjoyed this book and the actual historical pictures and events the author put in the back of the book.
Review by Vicki Lewellyn, Pleasant Green Elem. Media Center
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Turtle in Paradise
Written by Jennifer L. Holm
Random House
191 pages
Release Date: May 11, 2010
ISBN: 9780375836886 (hardcover)
