<< Back to previous page

"Turtle in Paradise" Jennifer L. Holm

Author:

Jennifer L. Holm

Publisher:

Random House Books for Young Readers

Holm, Jennifer L. Turtle in Paradise. Random House, New York, 2010.

Living with her single house keeper mother, Turtle has always been mistreated by the children in the house, and she realizes that real life does not promise a happy ending as in the movies.  When her mother can no longer care for her and work at the same time, Turtle and her cat travel with her mother’s seemingly wonderful new boyfriend, Archie, to live with her aunt in the Florida Keys. The year is 1935 and the Depression has hit the Keys very hard; summer is just beginning, and Turtle’s aunt Minnie and her four boy cousins don’t even know she is coming.  Nevertheless, they make room in their crowded little home for Turtle and she eventually becomes one of the family, a part of the neighborhood. 

Her cousins are members of the “diaper gang” watching ornery babies from the neighborhood, using their secret diaper rash formula and pulling them around in a wagon – all in exchange for candy.  When Aunt Minnie is stung by a scorpion, Turtle must take over the job of feeding her elderly grandmother – who knocks the food right off the table.  With some tough love, Turtle finds a way into her grandmother’s heart and builds a relationship which was broken years ago when Turtle’s mother became pregnant and left the Keys.  Discovering a gold coin and treasure map in her grandmother’s piano, Turtle and the diaper gang “borrow” a boat, search and eventually discover the treasure on a tiny island.  As their boat floats away and a huge storm approaches, their situation looks bleak.  Eventually, the children are rescued, her mother and Archie are married, and it looks as if Turtle will have a happy ending, just like in the movies. An author’s note and historical photographs complete the book.

Turtle in Paradise is a relatively quick read, despite beginning with a relatively leisurely, deliberate pace.  The unexpected, exciting ending will have readers both cheering and crying.  Many students today will empathize with Turtle and the tough financial circumstances of the people living in the Florida Keys. Turtle’s personality grows from a tough girl who doesn’t like other children, to one who recognizes the importance of family and relationships.  Basing this novel on stories her grandmother told from living in the Keys during the 1930’s, Holm does an exquisite job of describing this unique time and place including the “conch kids” and hurricane, and the lush greenery and poverty of the area. Readers who enjoyed Polly Horwath’s My One Hundred Adventures and Northward to the Moon will also enjoy Turtle in Paradise.  Recommended for readers in grades 3-6.

Kristine Wildner, Holy Apostles School, New Berlin, WI