Turtle in Paradise

 Module 5 Book 3

Bibliography
Holm, J. L. (2010). Turtle in Paradise. Random House.
ISBN: 9780375836886

Plot Summary

Turtle is a 11 year old girl who is sent to live with her aunt and cousins in Key West, Florida during the Great Depression. Turtle through the story is learning more about herself and her family. Throughout the story, Turtle compares her life to Shirley Temple and shows that her life is far from perfect. This story shows Turtle’s strength through the hardships and the importance of relationships during those times.

Critical Analysis

Turtle in the beginning introduces her mother in a way readers can understand that Turtle is more the grown up than her own mother. Her mother sends her to live with her sister Minnie because she was hired for a new housekeeping job. This job does not allow for the helps children to live there. We learn that jobs are tough and money is scarce. Parents are over worked and children are having to adapt quickly to these hardships. It talks about certain people from that era like Shirley Temple, Ernest Hemingway and the Hurricane that came through. 

The best part of this book was the characters. Not only were their names great and humorous, but their personalities were even better. I felt like I was reading about my own family. My daughter, who is 10, would ask for me to keep reading the book because she wanted to see what the diaper gang would be up to next. I would recommend this book, it gave historical facts of that time while keeping the reader's interest. 

The ending was so upsetting because I was hoping for her Shirley Temple ending. I was in such shock that I went back to reread because my daughter could not even believe what had happened. It broke my heart and I wish the author would have continued the story. But it was a reminder to the reader that life especially during the Great Depression, was not perfect and at any moment it could fall apart.

Review Excerpts

• Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews: “Sweet, funny and superb.”

• Starred Review, Booklist: Just the right mixture of knowingness and hope

...a hilarious blend of family drama seasoned with a dollop of adventure.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2011 Golden Kite Award, Fiction; 
• 2011 ALA Notable Children’s Books, Middle Readers; 
• Top 10 Books for Youth, Historical Fiction:2011; 
• IRA Children's Choices 2011, Advanced Readers; 
• Children's Book Committee, Bank Street College of Education, Children's Choices
  
•  Booklist 2010 Editor’s Choice, Books for Youth, Fiction, Middle Readers; 
• Kirkus Reviews 2010 Best Children’s Books

Connections

• To build background knowledge, have students learn more about the Great Depression.

• Learn about the Hurricane of 1935 that hit Key West.