BIBLIOGRAPHY
Holm, J. L. (2010). Turtle in paradise. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780329839017
PLOT SUMMARY
A dream-chasing mother sends her daughter to live with distant relatives when her mother’s client says she does not like children. Turtle is thrust into new surroundings, new family and interesting situations that have this young girl slowly coming to love her circumstance.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Turtle seems a little cynical in the beginning and who wouldn’t be after their mom just dumped them like yesterday’s garage? But she understands the why behind it, she just doesn’t have to like it much. It’s refreshing to see a character show that not all children sit and do as their told, even back then. It’s also very amusing that she feels grown-ups need more advice than the kids because “[they’re] the ones who need it most.” (Holm, 2010, page 61).
She seems wise beyond her years. She knows how hard money is to come by and some of the relationships her mother must have had to the people of her new home. While the history pieces may seem irrelevant, the Great Depression era plays heavily on the events of the story. We see people barter and be kind to their neighbors and we see the greed that comes with having any money at all.
Family plays a huge part of this story and it’s not always clear they love each other. Through a series of up and down rollercoaster emotions, Turtle gets to know the grandmother who has come back from the grave the cousins who are mischievous and the man who may well be her father. It’s a lovely story showing all sides of family; the good, the bad and the hardships.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
“Holm’s voice for Turtle is winning and authentic—that of a practical, clear-eyed observer—and her nimble way with dialogue creates laugh-out-loud moments.” - Kirkus Review May 25th, 2010
“Sweet, funny and superb.” - Kirkus Review May 25th, 2010
“Depression-era story teaches history, meaning of family.” – Patricia Tauzer, Common Sense Media
CONNECTIONS
*Imagine your mom sending you away. How would you feel? Using the book for reference, compare your feeling to that of Turtle’s.
*If you woke up living Turtle’s life, how would you handle it? Would you be happy, sad, scared? Why?
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