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Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in Paradise. New York: Random House. ISBN: 978-0-375-93688-3.
Times are hard in 1935 and eleven-year-old Turtle has to go live in Key West, Florida with relatives she has never met when her mother takes a job as a housekeeper for a woman who does not like children. Turtle in Paradise shares the unique culture and history of Key West in the thirties while exploring the hopes, dreams, and realities of the tough young heroine who dreams of a home of her own.
Turtle in Paradise is sweet, funny and sad with a young heroine that is unforgettable. Turtle, named because "Mama says I have a hard shell, " sees the world for what it really is unlike her mother who sees the world through a Hollywood haze. When she is sent to Key West to live while her mother works as a housekeeper in New Jersey, she is determined to keep her hard shell, "...I don't understand what's so wonderful about having a big family. Someone's always fighting, or not talking to someone else, or scrounging around trying to borrow money." But Turtle soon finds a sense of home and family with her rowdy boy cousins and a grandmother she thought was dead. The story is fast paced and fun as the children find trouble that eventually leads to treasure while taking care of the exhausted women's "bad babies" in trade for candy as part of The Diaper Gang. Turtle discovers her past and forges a future in Key West when her mother comes for her after Turtle and the boys survive a hurricane when digging for treasure. Despite losing the financial reward to a crook, Turtle and her mother realize that the true treasure they were looking for is the stability and love that family and friends provide, "Maybe the real treasure has been right here on Curry Lane the whole time-people who love Mama and me. A home."
The desperate times of the Depression are fully realized in the poverty and hardships of Key West, but Holm also explores the freedom of living in a small community and the simple pleasures of childhood that young readers will recognize. The search for adventure and the common fun of playing pirates is explored as the group of kids sail out to find the treasure which quickly turns to fear and regret when the storm rolls over the island. The author's note, resources, and websites offer several avenues for further exploration. Especially interesting are the pictures included in the author's note that give young readers a glimpse into the 1930's clothing, houses, and people in Key West during the time the story takes place.
Turtle in Paradise is a 2011 Newbery Honor Book, 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Book, an ALA Notable Book, Booklist Editor's Choice, Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2010, Spring 2010 Junior Library Guild Selection, and a New York Times Bestseller.
Jennifer Holm has been awarded three Newbery Honors and is the author of the Babymouse and Squish graphic novels with her brother, Matt. To learn more about her, please visit her website http://www.jenniferholm.com/.
Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2010:“Sweet, funny and superb”
Starred Review, Booklist, April 15, 2010:"Turtle is just the right mixture of knowingness and hope; the plot is a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure."
Review, School Library Journal, April 2010:"This richly detailed novel was inspired by Holm’s great-grandmother’s stories. Readers who enjoy melodic, humorous tales of the past won’t want to miss it."
Discussions about the meaning of family, surviving hard times, the Depression, and life in Key West are all connections that can be made with Turtle in Paradise. Turtle remarks several times that she does not like Shirley Temple, so I would include a screening of a Shirley Temple film or at least a short segment for the children who are unfamiliar with her. Ernest Hemingway's cameo appearance also is an opportunity to look at his works briefly. Quizlet offer 186 questions about the book: http://quizlet.com/13729359/turtle-in-paradise-flash-cards/#. Random House has a teacher's guide available at http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375836886.pdf.
Barnes and Noble. Editorial reviews. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/turtle-in-paradise-jennifer-l-holm/1100259458?ean=9780375836909. (Accessed November 9, 2013.)
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