"Turtle in Paradise" by Jennifer L. Holm

Bibliography

Holm Jennifer. (2010) Turtle inParadise.  New York, New York: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-375-93688-3

Summary

In 1935, when her mother gets a job housekeeping for a woman who does not like children, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to stay with relatives she has never met in far away Key West, Florida.

Analysis

Typically, when I think of Key West, Florida sandy beaches and sunshine are all that come to mind. In this book, the reader gets to see a different side of Florida from before mainstream culture tried to take over. We get to follow Turtle as she is sent away by her mother, Sadiebelle, to live with her Aunt Minerva. From the beginning, Turtle’s old life is glorified and everything in Florida is made to seem dingy and a poor comparison to her previous home. Even her Aunt Minerva is compared to her mother in a very unflattering light. Everything Turtle does is twisted just a little so that the reader isn’t sure what is fact and what is just her perspective of real life.

It took me most of this book to really notice that Turtle’s whole life has forced her to be more of an adult than she should have to be. She has no father, and her mother doesn’t seem like the best decision-maker in the world. I think this is a situation that a lot of kids can actually relate to, even when we, as educator, wish they didn’t have to. Because of her maturity, she is the one to help build a bridge between her supposedly dead grandmother and her mother.

Sadiebelle is a housekeeper and, despite her low pay, she and Turtle have big dreams. Unfortunately, this novel is not fiction and all endings don’t end up happily ever after. Poor Turtle is left poor and had to pick up the pieces of the life she and her mother had. It isn’t until the very, absolute end of the book that Sadiebelle and Turtle really realize that they are at home and among family. This family, and the whole island, draws in the reader by referring to absolutely every character by their local nickname which makes you feel like you’re one of the gang as you read along.

One of the strangest aspects of this book is Turtle. She is very clever and logical and mature! She is a surprise at every turn which many children will find refreshing! The book itself was very easy to read and would be no trouble for even a young independent reader. Add in the pirates, dogs a scary old lady to avoid, and you have all the makings of a great adventure book!

This book could easily appeal to a wide array of readers. Young or old, quiet or boisterous. There is a relatable character for just about any type of reader in this book and it is such a comfortably paced, easy read that it would make the perfect rainy-day book!

Honors

Newbery Medal, 2011

Golden Kite Award, 2011