Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer Holm

Summary:
Turtle and her Mama are like 2 peas in a pod.  Well, at least they were til her Mama sent her to live with relatives in Key West since Mama was working as a housekeeper for a lady who didn't like children.  Now she's living with her aunt and cousins in a ramshackle house on the keys, surrounded by even more family members she's never met.  But she finds ways to keep busy, helping her cousins with their babysitting business (even if no girls are officially allowed) and discovering a map to some buried treasure.  But when a freak storm comes in while she and her cousins are looking for treasure they are left stranded and just hoping that someone will find them.  Adventures in the comics always turn out swell, but will they in real life?

Review:
Holm's book is not your typical book about a family during the Great Depression.  While it touches on themes of want and talks about how far people have to travel for work, the overarching theme through the book is about family and being resourceful.  Turtle is a spunky character many girls will identify with.  The quirky Key West family she finds herself with are colorful and fun, making me wish I lived in the Keys myself.   It's an absolutely fabulous book for tweens, especially those who like a little bit of adventure in their books.

Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 4-5th Grade