LSSL 5360 Module 5- Book Review #3 TURTLE IN PARADISE by Jennifer L. Holm

Module 5- Book Review #3 Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, Jennifer. L. (2016). Turtle in paradise (1st ed.). New York: Yearling Newbery. ISBN: 978-0-329-83901-7

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Turtle in Paradise is an adventurous story set in 1935, with a tough 11-year-old female, named Turtle (“Mama says I’ve got a hard shell!” p.99), as its main character. When Turtle’s mom gets a housekeeping job for a woman who doesn’t like kids, Turtle has no choice but to head to Key West to stay with relatives she has never known. Turtle is realistic, and smart, and doesn’t have high expectations for the sometimes scary world around her. Her life in Key West, however, opens her up to new experiences and a world she never expected to experience. With a troop of boy cousins, a small town, new jobs, food, and daily adventures, life in Key West is never boring!

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Right from the start, I thought Turtle was hilarious. Just like her name, she is tough on the outside, but it quickly becomes apparent that she is also sensitive and kind on the inside. Her tone is often cynical, and it shows- “my eyes are gray as soot, and I see things for what they are” (p.17). It’s easy to understand why she comes across so skeptical- she’s grown up fairly poor during the Great Depression, she never knew her dad, and now she’s being forced to live with relatives she’s never known, hours away from her mother, Sadiebelle. Her cynical attitude replicates how most Americans were feeling at that time, and it gives the reader a look into the reality of the times. It’s a reality that is apparent through several examples throughout the book: they often mention that everyone is looking for a job, her Uncle is gone working for weeks at a time, Sadiebelle takes a job that doesn’t allow for Turtle to stay with her, and even The Diaper Gang gets paid in candy, rather than money. Told in first-person narration, Turtle takes the reader on her own journey of growth as she learns about family and what it means to her, as she’s gone eleven years without these relationships and suddenly she is thrust into them. We watch her grow, mature, learn and change as told through her own voice.

I couldn’t ignore the irony of the title, Turtle in Paradise, because Turtle does not describe Key West with such fondness- “Truth is, the place looks like a broken chair that’s been left out in the sun to rot” (p.13).  I suppose the point is that Turtle finds paradise in her situation, even though it’s not what her mother described or what she pictured. In the end, she realizes her own paradise is the family she has gained who loves and cares for her. It may not be the Hollywood riches that Daddy Warbucks provides, or the home she envisioned with her mom and Archie, but it’s her own, authentic piece of bliss.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

"Sweet, funny and superb." -Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews

"Just the right mixture of knowingness and hope . . . a hilarious blend of family drama seasoned with a dollop of adventure." - Starred Review, Booklist

*Newbery Honor (2011)
*Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2013)
*Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2012)

5. CONNECTIONS

*ages 9+
*Book is set during the Depression, an easy tie to make for a lesson during that time period

Similar book to consider: Penny from Heaven, by Jennifer L. Holm