Skip to main content

Turtle in Paradise

Turtle in Paradise
By Jennifer L. Holm
Random House Childrens Books, 2010. 191 pages. Chapter book.

Turtle's mom has a new housekeeping job for an older woman who can't tolerate children. Jobs are scarce so the only solution is to send Turtle to stay with an Aunt and numerous other relatives that she has never met in the Florida Keys. Resilient and capable Turtle takes it in stride and is even pleasantly surprised to find a fairly comfortable place with boy-cousins Kermit, Beans, Buddy and their best friend Pork Chop. She knows that life is nothing like Hollywood portrays in their movies, Shirley Temple indeed! Turtle definitley feels more connected with Little Orphan Annie in the funny papers and wishes for a Daddy Warbucks to come and sweep her away to a life of riches. Living in Florida gives young Turtle many new experiences, yet she clings to her dreams and yearns for the perfect life with her somewhat fanciful mother.
Two-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer Holm has done it again! She shows us a particular moment in history perfectly through the eyes of a tough little girl. As I read Turtle in Paradise I was transported to Depression Era Key West, experiencing hurricanes, hunts for pirate treasure and diaper-changing right along with Turtle. I love how the author incorporates her family's history into her novels. It will be interesting to see if she will win yet another Newbery next year!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

De la hora del cuento: La letra "F"

Cuentos Gustavo: el fantasmita timido Por Flavia Z. Drago Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2020. Libro ilustrado. "Conoce a Gustavo. Ɖl es un fantasma y como a cualquier ser paranormal le encanta hacer lo que le es normal: atravesar paredes, hacer volar objetos y brillar en la oscuridad. TambiĆ©n le encanta tocar el violĆ­n. Pero Gustavo tiene un problema. Ɖl es muy, muy tĆ­mido, y aunque su deseo mĆ”s grande es tener amigos, nunca se ha atrevido a hablarle a ninguno de los monstruos en su pueblito. Con el DĆ­a de Muertos cerca, ¿se atreverĆ” Gustavo a dejar que lo vean?" --Editor Cuentitos ¡Yo sola! Por Sumana Seeboruth y Maribel Castells Concord : Barefoot Books, 2023. PequeƱo libro ilustrado. "Yo sola. ¡No, no, no! Puedo hacerlo. ¡Vete, vete, vete! Esta niƱa no quiere que la ayuden ... hasta que su hermana mayor necesita ayuda. ¡El trabajo en equipo es divertido!" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "F" El bosque en familia Maisy juega fĆŗtbol Lo...

Review: Last One Picked

  Last One Picked By Audrey Meeker New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2026. Comic.  Annabeth has never been very athletic, but that doesn't matter. She is perfectly content to spend her time with her Warrior Princess books and volunteering at the library. When summer comes, her mom is convinced by their stuck up neighbor to send Annabeth to volleyball camp, the last place she would ever want to be. Not only does she feel completely out of her depth, her ex-best friend, Serena, is there- and she is not happy that Annabeth is infringing on her domain. However, with the help of some encouraging coaches and teammates, Annabeth slowly starts to realize that she doesn't mind volleyball so much, and might even have a place on the team after all. This graphic novel will hit home for many tweens, especially as it deals with several relevant topics, such as body image, gaining confidence, and how we should treat others. The illustrations were bright and colorful, and the story itself ...

De la hora del cuento: La letra "H"

  Cuentos Cuando tu niƱera es una bruja Escrito por Ana Siqueira Ilustrado por Irena Freitas New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022. Libro ilustrado. "Si consigues una nueva niƱera y ya casi es Halloween, ten cuidado ... ¡porque podrĆ­a ser una bruja!" --Editor Cuentitos Mi ofrenda Por Mariana Galvez   Los Angeles, California: Little Libros, LLC, 2022. PequeƱo libro ilustrado. "Finalmente ha llegado el momento y Amelia necesita tu ayuda para recoger art̕culos para la ofrenda de su familia. A travĆ©s del uso de colores, este libro de buscar y encontrar les enseƱarĆ” a sus pequeƱos el significado especial que tienen los artĆ­culos cotidianos durante el DĆ­a de Muertos." --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "H" Hola. ¡Adiós! Hermana pegajosa Hansel y Gretel ¡Hola, CapitĆ”n! Nuestras Ancestras: Tejiendo Historias En Mi Huipil