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Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer L. Holm (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 5,992 ratings · 1,050 reviews

In Jennifer L. Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn't like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple

She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle...more

Hardcover, 208 pages

Published May 11th 2010 by Random House Books for Young Readers (first published April 25th 2010)

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One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Newbery 2011

13th out of 139 books — 411 voters

2013 Rebecca Caudill Nominees

4th out of 22 books — 43 voters

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Jan 20, 2011 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: work

Newbery Honor Book

Felt a bit forced and some things didn't ring true, but the notes at the were very interesting/illuminating

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May 09, 2013 Sana Maria Soufi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Turtle in Paradise
By Jennifer Holm
Realistic Fiction
208 Pages
4/15/13

This story is about a girl named Turtle who lives with her poor mother who works as a maid in different homes. Turtle is a tough girl, she has to be to put up with her mother who is always getting her heart broken by men. One day, Turtle is shipped off to her aunt's house in Florida. Turtle hopes to be greeted by lush fruit trees and beautiful sea waves. Instead she comes to a beat up old town. Staying here she hopes to recover a...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Jamie Ayres rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this historical novel set in Key West (year: 1935) with my class and my daughter. Everyone LOVED the book! Turtle had just enough 'snap' in her to make her relatable and funny. You even fall in love with her rotten band of cousins. I thought it was interesting how many of my students had never seen Annie or Shirley Temple. We had access to both through YouTube . . . you can even listen to the old Annie radio shows as there were many references to these two icons throughout the book. The s...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Brittnee Pettie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Comments— Matter of fact: Turtle is a character that you will love. Her honesty is true to her 11 years of life experience and her candid perspective is the perfect lens through which to view the world of 1935. The story of her journey growing up “cleaning toilets” along with her mother is a relative image of the turns that the lives of those living during the Great Depression took. Turtle’s unfortunate departure from the comfort of her mother’s company in New Jersey to Key West, Florida is the...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Krista rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: caudill-2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 10, 2013 Jessica Vanhemel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-talk

There are no illustrations in this chapter book by Jennifer L. Holm, there are however several photographs in the back of the book that are of Key West. They help give the audience a look into what life was like in the Island when the Depression was going on. These photographs have captions that help the audience understand where the author got her ideas from, how she incorporated people from real life into her story.

Turtle is a young girl about girl named Turtle, she is not like many girls her...more There are no illustrations in this chapter book by Jennifer L. Holm, there are however several photographs in the back of the book that are of Key West. They help give the audience a look into what life was like in the Island when the Depression was going on. These photographs have captions that help the audience understand where the author got her ideas from, how she incorporated people from real life into her story.

Turtle is a young girl about girl named Turtle, she is not like many girls her age (11), and she is made of tough stuff, unlike her mother. She hasn't cried since she was five years old, while her mother cries all of the time, Turtle is the tough one of the two. Her mother is the sort of person that falls in love easily, but she tends to fall in love with the wrong kind of men that leave her. The man in her life now, Archie, seems to be a keeper, or so they think. The story takes place during 1935, the Great Depression is still going on and times are tough. Her mother’s new job is for a woman who dislikes children and so Turtle is sent to her mother’s sister, Aunt Minnie in Key West Florida, whom she has never met.
Her life in New Jersey never prepared her for life in Key West, she was used to being an only child and now she lives with her cousins, Beans, Kermit, and Buddy. Everything on Key West is so different from what she is used to, and everyone has strange names. It takes some time to get used to how life happens down on the Keys. It’s hotter than anything she is used to and has a hard time getting acclimated to the way that her Aunt runs her home, her Uncle travels off the island for work leaving for long periods of time. The children basically run wild through the Keys, they have a gang, the Diaper Gang, and they babysit the neighborhood kids for candy. Beans and Turtle but heads immediately when his dog Termite attacks her cat Smokey. Kermit and Buddy are more accommodating and invite her right into the house.
Along the way she meets her grandmother who she thought was dead, finds the father she never knew. When her mother became an unmarried pregnant woman on the island, she waited seven days for the proposal from the father and never got it so she left the island. At this point her mother (Saddiebell) was told that she was no longer her mother’s daughter, so she always told Turtle that her grandmother was dead. Through a process Turtle and her grandmother become friends. Unknowingly she finds out who her father is and develops a friendship with him before she knows who he really is.
The cousins discover a treasure map and decide to try and follow it; they end up on a smaller island. The boat that they borrowed to get to the island drifts away while they are searching for the treasure. They end up stranded on the island when a hurricane rolls through, Key West was spared from most of the damage but they Keys closer to the mainland were damaged. After they are rescued they split the treasure amongst the group. While they were missing Turtle’s mother comes back home with her new husband Archie. Her mother seems really happy, they have decided to buy a home together, Archie gives them time to say goodbye to the family. Archie is not the keeper that they though he was, it turns out that he stole Turtle’s money and ran away with it, they are stuck and alone. The family welcomes the two of them with open arms.

This book would be good for fourth or fifth grade, even an advanced third grade reader. The story is complex but children would enjoy the adventure and the dynamics that are involved in the story. A great activity to do with this book would be to character analysis and have the children figure out which characters are essential and how they are essential. They should be able to describe in detail the different characters and what roles they plan in the story, without such characters would not be the same. (less)

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Mar 03, 2013 03jillianm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-review-books

Title of book: Turtle in Paradise

Author: Jennifer L. Holm

Summary:
What would it be like to spend a summer with cousins that you never met? Imagine being a girl named Turtle and spending a summer in Key West, Florida with cousins that are hooligans and not knowing what she is in for. When Turtle arrives she meets her cousins and her Aunt Minnie and now she wishes she was back home by how they act. In the first place Turtle was sent to Key West because Mrs. Budnick who wants Turtle’s Mom to be her...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Turtle In Paradise, young Turtle has to move in with her cousins in Florida because her mother is having trouble finding a job. At first, she absolutely hates her cousins, especially Beans, who mocks her name. During that summer, however, she goes on many different adventures that change her mind about the town. In her grandmother's piano, she discovers a hidden treasure map that leads her to a chest full of gold coins. After Turtle and her cousins uncover the treasure, their boat breaks down...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Keilani Ludlow rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a really cute little story. I hadn't realized that it was YA lit when I checked it out, which is not an issue because I read a lot of YA lit, but I did start it expecting a more adult reading level so it took me a minute to adjust my expectations. However, once I did, quite enjoyable.

Turtle (a young girl) is sent to live with an aunt and her family in Key West when her mother gets a live-in job and can't bring Turtle along. It is during the great depression. Turtle's mom is a dreamer, T...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Rachel!!! rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Eleven year-old Turtle lives with here mother in New Jersey. Her mother being a house-keeper. It's 1935 and times are hard. Her mother Sadiebelle has just gotten a new job and a new man in her life, Archie Meeks. As MaMa arrives at her new job she realizes children are not aloud. Turtle must travel to find her Aunt with one of Archie's friends Mr. Edgit to Key West.

When Turtle arrives in Key West it appears to be a run down ghost town. But Mr. edgit uses his hand-drawn map from Mama to find Mrs...more Eleven year-old Turtle lives with here mother in New Jersey. Her mother being a house-keeper. It's 1935 and times are hard. Her mother Sadiebelle has just gotten a new job and a new man in her life, Archie Meeks. As MaMa arrives at her new job she realizes children are not aloud. Turtle must travel to find her Aunt with one of Archie's friends Mr. Edgit to Key West.

When Turtle arrives in Key West it appears to be a run down ghost town. But Mr. edgit uses his hand-drawn map from Mama to find Mrs. Curry/Aunt Minnie.They arrive but Aunt Minnie appears to not have been expecting her. She has three sons Beans, Kermit, and Buddy. Aunt Minnie decides to take her in but she has to take Beans room, which is not good. One more thing Turtle has a cat and Beans has a dog.

The very first day arriving it's brought to Turtle's attention that Beans and a couple boys are in a group called "The Diaper Gang" fancy right? They go around Key West taking care of babies and they also have a secret baby powder for rashes that almost works immedietly. But apparently it's no girls aloud. She still tags along.

The next day she comes to find a lot of people on this island are related to her! And everyone knows about her arrival. Also she begins to hear things about Black Caesars treasure. A treasure that would be able to get her and her Mom's Bellewood dream home. And that's all she can think about for the next few days.

Over the next while Turtle gets used to Key West and actually tolerates all the young boys living with her. She also gets to meet her Grandma, whom her Mother said was dead. One day while looking around her Grandma's house she comes to find a box inside a piano. inside it says "Black Caesars Treasure Map." She found the map for Black Caesar! She regroups the diaper gang and the next day they head out.

Stealing a "friend" of theirs boat. They begin to see a small island and drop the anchor. They wade to shore and begin to use the map. nothing. They try a little more. Nothing. Turtle falls and bam hits a bag of some sort. IT has a "c" for Black Caesars treasure. They found it! They begin to head back to the boat. But, there's no boat? They forgot the anchor! Will Turtle get back to Key West and get back to her mother?
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Jan 10, 2013 Stephania rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: quarter-two-book-review

Genre: Historical Fiction Number of Pages: 177

Turtle dreams of having the perfect “Little Orphan Annie” lifestyle. Her mother being a housekeeper and tendency to fall for men that always flee, they never had much of a home. Exciting news arrives when Mama finds a new job working for a woman that doesn’t appreciate the company of kids, so it’s either look for another job during the rough times of the Great Depression, or send Turtle away to live with her sister.
Unfortunately, Turtle has never me...more Genre: Historical Fiction Number of Pages: 177

Turtle dreams of having the perfect “Little Orphan Annie” lifestyle. Her mother being a housekeeper and tendency to fall for men that always flee, they never had much of a home. Exciting news arrives when Mama finds a new job working for a woman that doesn’t appreciate the company of kids, so it’s either look for another job during the rough times of the Great Depression, or send Turtle away to live with her sister.
Unfortunately, Turtle has never met any of her relatives that live in Key West, Florida. So she is in for a rude awakening when her cousins (Beans, Kermit and Buddy) are rather rude and stingy, her aunt’s head is always spinning and her dead grandmother is alive…her new family is constantly using strange terms to refer to objects she knows by their true name, such as calling an avocado an alligator pear. Turtle is having trouble fitting in, but eventually she learns how to show everyone that even though she has her mother’s striking features, she is still clever and knows how to adjust to the needs of the Diaper Gang, her cousins’ baby watching club that gets paid in candy.
She and her “dead” grandmother (who is actually alive) bond a little more, and soon while looking though some old memorabilia, Turtle finds a treasure map that leads to an actual loot! A loot worth $20,000! Then, Mama and her newly wed husband come down to get her in preparation to settle into their new house, but several hours later, Turtle’s new daddy was spotted jumping aboard a boat headed for Cuba. When reality strikes both Turtle and Mama, they decide to stay in Key West, because there really is no place like home.

Turtle and her family lived during the Great Depression. Not only that but life was much simpler back then. You could go out and play amongst the streets till all hours of the night and wouldn’t get kidnapped or hurt. It was simply just safer. One way people lived differently was that no kids wore any shoes.
“You’re not from around here, are you?”
“How’d you guess?”
“You talk funny,” he says, and looks down at my feet. “And you’re wearing shoes.” (page 23)

The other thing that people did differently in those days was working: kids could get a job at pretty much any age they wanted. If they wanted to work at age 8, they could.
“You hiring?” I ask.
He looks a little uncomfortable. “I don’t normally hire kids.”
“I don’t mind illegal activities, long as I get paid.” (page 58, 59)

“You’ve got a club called the Diaper Gang?” I say. “What do you do? Change diapers?”
Kermit explains. “We watch babies. Bad ones.” (page 27, 28)

My favorite part of the about the book was how she kept referencing Shirley Temple and Little Orphan Annie. As a child, I grew up watching Shirley Temple movies and watching the Little Orphan Annie on TV and in person, as opposed to SpongeBob and Drake and Josh, so it brought back nice memories. And also I have never read a book that referred to either one of those movies!
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Nov 14, 2012 Nicole Dylewicz rated it 3 of 5 stars

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer I holm, is a Newbery Medal Winner. It is a story about a girl who lives with her relatives during the depression in Key West, Florida. In the story there are boys who cause a lot of trouble. In the novel they decide to even set a cat's tail on fire for fun. Crazy if you ask me. This story is not ordinary like the rest of novels. This novel is actually based on real family tales. It helps to give people an inside look of the Depression but just in the Key West. This...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Nicole Lamb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Junior Book Critique #12

Turtle in Paradise
By: Jennifer L. Holm

1. Junior Book Genre: Historical Fiction

2. Brief Summary: After taking a job as a housekeeper for a tough old lady that does not like kids, Turtle’s mother is forced to send her to live with her sister down in Key West, Florida. Turtle is a strong-willed and tough girl and after her surprising her aunt in Key West she finds herself in an environment that she is totally unfamiliar with and with family she has never met! This coming of...more Junior Book Critique #12

Turtle in Paradise
By: Jennifer L. Holm

1. Junior Book Genre: Historical Fiction

2. Brief Summary: After taking a job as a housekeeper for a tough old lady that does not like kids, Turtle’s mother is forced to send her to live with her sister down in Key West, Florida. Turtle is a strong-willed and tough girl and after her surprising her aunt in Key West she finds herself in an environment that she is totally unfamiliar with and with family she has never met! This coming of age story takes place in the thick of the Great Depression when people had to rally around one another to simply survive. Expecting to dislike everything about her mother’s hometown Turtle finds herself enthralled with her family, a close group of friends known as the Diaper Gang (they sell an excellent Diaper cream) and even begins to bond with her difficult grandmother! It is the unexpected twists and turns of life in Key West that are most remarkable throughout the story as a hurricane brings an unexpected and adventurous discovery of pirate treasure worth $20,000! This charming tale of friendship, family and community is truly an outstanding tribute to life during the Great Depression.
3.
A. Area for comment: One of the most remarkable aspects of this book is the development of the characters throughout the story, especially the relationship between Turtle and her grandmother Nana Philly. The use of dialogue and the development and growth of Turtle’s personality is truly noteworthy.
B. Professional Evaluation: Turtle in Paradise is a truly heartwarming tale about the maturation of a young lady as she grows and develops in a brand new environment as well as an inspirational story about the love and bond between family and friends! The subtle addition of historical references living through the era of the Great Depression, as well as the cultural nuances of Key West adds a great touch to the overall universal tale. There is no question that this book is not only a fun and easy read but a tribute to family, friends, community and love! Overall, I found this book to be not only an interesting tale of Turtle’s growth and development but also a fun story about life in Key West!
C. Specific Example: I found the author’s use of dialogue to grow and develop the characters to be truly remarkable, especially when it came to Turtle and her grandmother Nana Philly. This character development and the dynamics of relationships can be found on pages 106-108 when Turtle comes to Nana Philly’s home to make her lunch and sit with her. After delivering Nana Philly milk toast Turtle discovers it has spilled onto the floor and returns to Nana Philly with another one which Nana Philly immediately knocks onto the floor again with Turtle being “so shocked…I just stand there…I didn’t really believe what the boys said about her before, but I do now.” Turtle states: “You did that on purpose…Why? I’m your granddaughter!” and later declares “You don’t scare me” and cleans up the mess making another bowl of milk toast that this time she eats in front of Nana Philly talking repeatedly about how delicious it is! It is this back and forth between Nana Philly and Turtle that truly begins to develop their relationship as they eventually find mutual love and respect for one another. While this is simply one great example of Turtle’s strong personality it does highlight how her interactions truly begin to open her up to the people around her!

4. Curriculum Connection: There are a number of excellent curriculum connections that can be made while reading Turtle in Paradise. For instance, students can have the opportunity to discuss life during the Great Depression and the family relationships and connections that people relied on to make it through this difficult time in history. Also, students can begin to examine the cultural attributes of a community such as the one found in Key West and can compare and contrast the culture with their own immediate community. Finally, students can learn a great deal about character development and dialogue using this book! Overall, I think that students would truly enjoy dissecting and analyzing this Newberry Honor book!
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Oct 21, 2012 Kacy Sullivan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sullivanbookreviews

Eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to Key West Florida to live with her relatives as her mother had just gotten a new job working for a woman who wasn’t too fond of children. Turtle settles into her new home in Key West and makes friends with her cousins and their friends. Turtle in Paradise is set in the time of the great depression, which was a difficult time for the people in Key West, and across the country, which is why when Turtle’s mother got a job, she was willing to send Turtle to live with...more Eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to Key West Florida to live with her relatives as her mother had just gotten a new job working for a woman who wasn’t too fond of children. Turtle settles into her new home in Key West and makes friends with her cousins and their friends. Turtle in Paradise is set in the time of the great depression, which was a difficult time for the people in Key West, and across the country, which is why when Turtle’s mother got a job, she was willing to send Turtle to live with her aunt. Turtle is a fun little girl who is always going on big adventures in her new town. All of the characters have earned nicknames like Pork Chop, Slow Poke and Beans and there is a lot that Turtle must learn before she is accepted into the group .She and her new gang of friends, the Diaper Gang are so funny together. They run around the streets of Key West looking for treasure and causing mischief. Turtle meets Archie, who is one of her mother’s former boyfriends. Turtle and Archie’s story goes back farther than she knows.
At the end of the Turtle in Paradise, author Jennifer Holm tells about her inspiration for the story. There are photos of some of the places described in the book, like Sloppy Joe’s. The author’s additions in the back of the book give the story a very authentic feeling. Most of the people in the story are based on the author’s family members, which also add to the genuineness of the story.
This book was written at the fourth to sixth grade level. It would be a great suggestion to a student for a summer read, given the setting of the story. I think I would recommend this book to more of a young female audience. Young girls can usually relate to trying to fit in. Especially into groups where there are NO GIRLS ALLOWED. Boys might not be able to relate to the main character as well.
This was a quick and easy read for me. I found myself laughing out loud at the boys sometimes. However, I wish the ending wasn’t so sad. I would have like a little bit more of a fun ending since I though the rest of the book was sillier. But like Turtle, I understand that this isn’t Hollywood, and not everything has a storybook ending.
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Oct 21, 2012 Jeanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lutzbookreviews

Turtle in Paradise is about a little girl nicknamed Turtle (because of her "hard shell", she never cries) who moves from New Jersey to Key West, Florida during the Great Depression in 1935. She is sent to live with her aunt and cousins while her mother stays behind to work as a housekeeper. Because Turtle is an only child it is hard for her at first adjusting to living in a house with her three boy cousins. There are other things for her to get used to: the weather, the food, and missing her mot...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Clarissa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: children, parents

Shelves: henderson-book-reviews

The title of the book is, Turtle in Paradise. The author of the book is, Jennifer L. Holm. The book was published by, Random House Children’s Books in the U.S., in 2010. This book is historical fiction. This is a first edition, and has 208 pages. As a special feature there is a 10-page author’s note at the end of the book, which describes the people and places in her life that helped to form this story. This hardback edition cost, $16.99. The ISBN is, 978-0-375-83688-6.
Turtle in Paradise takes...more The title of the book is, Turtle in Paradise. The author of the book is, Jennifer L. Holm. The book was published by, Random House Children’s Books in the U.S., in 2010. This book is historical fiction. This is a first edition, and has 208 pages. As a special feature there is a 10-page author’s note at the end of the book, which describes the people and places in her life that helped to form this story. This hardback edition cost, $16.99. The ISBN is, 978-0-375-83688-6.
Turtle in Paradise takes place in 1935, at the height of the Great Depression. The story is located in Key West, Florida. The book opens with Turtle, an 11-year-old girl, traveling from New Jersey to Key West, Florida with her cat, Smokey, in the pickup of her mother’s, boyfriend’s, friend, Mr. Edgit. Her mother, a housekeeper, has gotten a new job and her new boss hates kids. She is sent to live with relatives, who are complete strangers to her, in Key West. Turtle arrives at her Aunt Minerva’s house only to realize the letter her mother sent ahead of her arrival, hasn’t arrived. Her aunt has a husband, Uncle Vernon, who’s often away from home working. She also has three boys: Beans, a tough boy around Turtle’s age, with a dog named Termite; Kermit, a sickly boy about 9 or 10 who likes to run fast; and Buddy, a preschooler who seldom wears pants. Turtle soon finds that she is surrounded by boys. Her three boy cousins have friends: Pork Chop, Bean’s best friend; Ira, everyone’s friend; and Too Bad, an on again-off again friend. Turtle tags along on the boys’ adventures and even has some adventures of her own. She meets some long lost relatives and learns the ways of the island. In the end Turtle learns the true meaning of family and paradise.
Turtle in Paradise is a great read for grades 3, 4 and up. Children and adults will be able to recognize themselves or family members in the characters. There were times when I was laughing and other times when I was crying. The author, Ms. Holm, did an outstanding job describing Key West, Florida. I could see the dry barren lawns and the small shotgun houses contrasted by the sparkling ocean and the sandy beaches. I could feel the hot, humid Floridian heat. I truly felt for Turtle. She’s an 11-year-old girl who’s been sent away on her own, to live with family members who are total strangers to her. Ms. Holm doesn’t directly address the loss and anxiety that Turtle is feeling; although, somehow the lack of addressing this punctuates it even more. Turtle is also tough and accepting of her fate. She falls in step with her new extended family, but doesn’t allow her cousins or her current circumstances to roll her over.
Ms. Holm also does a great job of conveying the mood of the depression. Instead of describing all the aspects of the depression you get a sense of what daily life is like for children living through it. None of the children, and eventually Turtle, wears shoes. Money is scarce to come by, even a nickel for ice cream. The boys even work for candy, because the whole of the island is on public assistance. Many of the dads are away working, which requires the women to play both mother and father to the households. A reality that was very common during the depression. Although Ms. Holm doesn’t have Turtle reflect on this, she does have Turtle mention that when Uncle Vernon comes home the whole house seems quieter, calmer, and lighter. She also has Turtle mention that when Uncle Vernon leaves that he takes Aunt Minerva’s smile and patience with him.
For this book, Ms. Holm drew on her own family history. Her great-grandmother emigrated to Key West from the Bahamas in the late 1800’s. Many of the characters are based on and named after her relatives. Some of the adventures that Turtle and the boys have are based on her family lore. Ms. Holm even includes pictures of the real Kermit and Porkchop. She also includes photos of places and events from Key West in the 1930’s. She consulted many family members and Key West historians to maintain historical and geographical accuracy. Ms. Holm has written many children’s books, including two series, The Babymouse series and The Stink Files series. She has also received Newberry Honor Awards for two of her books.
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Oct 18, 2012 Sierra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Turtle lives in the middle of the great depression, and has realized that life isn’t like the movies. When her mother gets a new job as a housekeeper, and she isn’t allowed to live there with her she is sent to aunt’s house in Key West. She learns quickly about family members that have never been spoken of, and very different than the life as a house keeper’s daughter. Down where everyone has weird names and the kids run lose, she realizes what her and her momma where missing.

I though this book...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-ya, read-2112

I listened to this book last week. What a sweet story set during the Great Depression. It’s hard to believe what a hardship that time was on everyone, and how much kids learned to survive. In this, we meet the spunky and very together 11 year old Turtle whose mother has sent her to Florida to live with her aunt, who already has three boys and an absent husband who is absent because the job he found is so far away. Turtle’s mother has a good job as a housekeeper, but her employer unfortunately do...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

With lines like, "But I'm not lucky as an orphan," Turtle in Paradise packs a lot of punch into a short, sweet story. Jennifer Holm is a master at making each and every sentence count. Once you begin reading Turtle's story you won't want to stop.

When her Mom takes a domestic job that doesn't allow kids, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to live with relatives she's never met in Key West. It's 1935, and jobs are scarce. Everyone we meet is feeling the hurt of the Great Depression in one way or anoth...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery-honor

So strange, the night I started reading this I had been singing Good Ship Lollipop to Holly. And I couldn't quite remember the lyrics. Wouldn't you know it, there they were a few pages in:

On the good ship lollipop,
It's sweet trip to a dandy shop
Where bonbons play
On the sunny beach of Peppermint Bay.

Cute little sayings spread throughout the book that remind me of my family outside of Pittsburgh. I love colorful language, like when Archie says he could sell a trap to a mouse.

Learned a few thing...more

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May 09, 2012 Katie Daniel added it

11 year old Turtle doesn't like children very much, and neither does her Mother's new employer. As a result Turtle is sent away to live with her aunt and cousins in Key West, Florida. Turtle has no idea who her father is and believes that her grandmother is dead, so this move to a strange new place causes her to begin to question her belonging and the meaning of family. The story takes us through Turtle's journey as she begins to discover who she is and where she has come from, meeting a variety...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Marissa Masterson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

Turtle In Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm is a 2011 Newberry Award winner book. It takes place in the summer of 1935 with a girl named Turtle who is sent to live with her aunt and cousin in Key West, Florida due to her mother being a housekeeper and her employer not allowing Turtle to live with them. While staying with her aunt she becomes close her with cousins and gets insight on the Diaper Gang. She finds a map in her grandmothers house that leads to her and the Gang to finding treasure in a lif...more Turtle In Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm is a 2011 Newberry Award winner book. It takes place in the summer of 1935 with a girl named Turtle who is sent to live with her aunt and cousin in Key West, Florida due to her mother being a housekeeper and her employer not allowing Turtle to live with them. While staying with her aunt she becomes close her with cousins and gets insight on the Diaper Gang. She finds a map in her grandmothers house that leads to her and the Gang to finding treasure in a life or death situation. They are all rescued and she and her mother stay in Key West, Florida with their family. This book was very so well written. The text flowed well and it had a lot of sarcastic comments which I loved. It was written from a young girls perspective which also made it more interesting because she wasn't the average girl during this time period. There are so many descriptive words that help paint a picture in the mind of the reader as well as feel as if you were one of the characters in the book. All of the characters were clearly defined. Each of their personalities shone through from the time they were introduced until the last page. Turtle is a strong young lady who got her nickname because she had a shell as tough as a turtles. Beans, anouther main character and Turtles cousin was a very witty and sarcastic boy who took control all the time. All of the other little boys had strong personalities and the reader was able to fully get to understand each one of them. The plot was very clear. It start out with Turtle on the road to go to her aunts and when she arrives her cousins do not want to hang out with her much because she is a girl. She learns a lot about her family like who her grandmother is and then all the children are faced with a huge conflict of being stranded at sea during a hurricane. Once they are saved and receive their reward 0f $20,000 everything turns for the best for Turtle. Her mother comes to her and she has married her boyfriend, Archie, who Turtle loves but he soon escapes with all of Turtles money leaving her and her mother heartbroken. But, they realize the paradise is not having a beautiful home in Georgia, its staying in the Keys with family and friends who love and adore them. The book has a great theme of love and friendship. Turtle experiences some hard times growing up because she always stays strong for her mother, the only one who loves her. She then finds out how much her aunt and uncle, grandmother, and cousins love her and their love and friendship from the town is greater than any up to date fairytale ending. I loved this book so much! I could not put it down the moment I started reading it! It had me at the first sarcastic line that Turtle had said. I think it is a great book for young readers to read because it deals with common themes such as love, family, and friendship. Most students can relate to at least one character in this book. The book was so well written that I found myself shocked sometimes because I would forget its setting was in 1935. Overall, I loved this book and will definitely use it in my classroom.(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-life

Turtle knows real life isn’t anything like Shirley Temple.Shirley Temple is this kid actress everyone’s calling “America’s Little Darling.” She has dimpled cheeks and ringlet curls and is always breaking into song or doing a dance number at the drop of a hat. Everyone thinks she’s the cutest thing ever.I can’t stand her. (page #8)And it isn’t just Shirly Temply Turtle doesn’t like. She thinks all kids are rotten and adults aren’t far behind.

Turtle is on her way to Key West, Florida to stay with...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Mimi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: older-children

This was a really good coming-of-age story. I'd guess that children eight and up would be interested in it. The novel takes place during the Great Depression, primarily in Key West—Key West before it became a tourist attraction.

The author's great-grandmother grew up in Key West, and the author did a lot of research, so the setting was really realistic, and some of the characters were even based off of real people that lived there during that time. There were pictures of people and the town at th...more This was a really good coming-of-age story. I'd guess that children eight and up would be interested in it. The novel takes place during the Great Depression, primarily in Key West—Key West before it became a tourist attraction.

The author's great-grandmother grew up in Key West, and the author did a lot of research, so the setting was really realistic, and some of the characters were even based off of real people that lived there during that time. There were pictures of people and the town at the end of the book. I thought that was really cool.

Turtle has grown up with her mother on the East Coast. Her mother got a job in New Jersey housekeeping for a lady who does not like children, so Turtle is sent to live in Key West with her aunt and other relatives whom she had never met before.

"Everyone thinks children are sweet as Necco Wafers, but I've lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten. They only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it."

"Mama's good at looking at the sunny side of life. Her favorite song is 'Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries.' I blame Hollywood. Mama's watched so many pictures that she believes in happy endings. She's been waiting her whole life to find someone who'll sweep her off her feet and take care of her. Me? I think life's more like that cartoon by Mr. Disney—The Three Little Pigs. Some big bad wolf's always trying to blow down your house."

"It's a fact: if a kid is being nice, he's probably up to no good. I guarantee you some kid was behind the Titanic sinking. He probably offered to steer the ship so the captain could get a cup of tea."

I did figure out who Turtle's dad was way before the author let us be told who it was, but Turtle wasn't looking for or really thinking of her real dad, so that probably has something to do with it.

I like that Turtle began the story as a pessimistic mini-adult and ended up finding love, family, a home, and that some endings are happy.

Oh, this was a Newberry Honor book in 2011.

And I can't imagine going without shoes every day.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Eleven-year-old Turtle has not had an easy life being raised by her scatterbrained, single mom during the Depression. Her soot-colored, grey-eyes see the world for what it is while her mother has had as many different jobs as boyfriends. Turtle copes by being tough and cynical. When her mother gets a job as a housekeeper for a rich lady that doesn’t like children, Turtle is shipped off to her aunt whom she has never met in Key West, Florida. Turtle learns to love her new, extended family and hav...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Bethany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, historical, juvenile, summery

Turtle's mama is a housekeeper, and the house she's currently keeping is owned by a lady who isn't so keen on children. Hates them, actually, but it's the Great Depression, and Mama needs the job, so Turtle gets sent south to live with her mama's sister and her family in Key West. Only, Mama never told her that Turtle was coming, so when she gets there, no one's expecting her. Still, her aunt gives her her cousin Beans's room, and Turtle starts to make herself at home. Beans and Kermit (another...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Kgmedia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent_lit_fiction

Inspired by family stories, two-time Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Holm beautifully blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, rich in historical detail, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West.

Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams a...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, upper-elementary, young-adult

Our school hosts a buy-one-get-one-free book sale every semester. I'm not sure what intrigued me about this book but I was buying another hardback, Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller, and I wanted one of equal value. I was probably attracted to the colors on the cover and I know I've been homesick for the beach for quite a while now. For whatever reason, I bought it.

It's been sitting on my bookshelf at school, unread, since then. I wasn't feeling well so I decided I needed some light reading....more

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Jan 03, 2012 Michelle Isenhoff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Turtle in Paradise is just the kind of book I love to read best. Sweet and clean, well-crafted, beautiful, with a host of characters I wish I knew, and an open-armed family at the end. It claimed Newbery honors this year.

Turtle grew up in New Jersey with her single mother. She’s the steady one in the family. “I think the color of a person’s eyes says a lot about them. Mama has soft blue eyes, and all she sees is kittens and roses. My eyes are gray as soot, and I see things for what they are.” Wh...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Amanda Toombs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Junior book—Historical Fiction

Summary: Turtle’s mother sends her to stay with relatives in Key West, Florida while she makes money to support their family. Turtle experiences many adventures such as finding a grandmother, dealing with boys, getting rid of her cat, and find treasure. Turtle thought her life was about to change for the best but the unexpected happens.

Critique:

a. The greatest strength in this book is the character, Turtle.

b. When I first understood that the main character...more Genre: Junior book—Historical Fiction

Summary: Turtle’s mother sends her to stay with relatives in Key West, Florida while she makes money to support their family. Turtle experiences many adventures such as finding a grandmother, dealing with boys, getting rid of her cat, and find treasure. Turtle thought her life was about to change for the best but the unexpected happens.

Critique:

a. The greatest strength in this book is the character, Turtle.

b. When I first understood that the main character in this novel was going to be Turtle, I knew she was going to be a “character.” Turtle does not serve as only the narrator in this book, she serves as a strong, independent, mature, well-behaved 11 year old. She comes in contact with a lot of strange people from her mother boyfriends, to the boy she leaved with, in Key West. Turtle always stands her ground and never lets anyone get in her way of thinking. She shows great detail and much individualization throughout the book. She plays the role of a very wonderful middle school child that behaves well and helps out when needed.

c. As Turtle is faced with many challenged throughout her life, she still stays the same person and does not like anyone’s actions or beliefs get her into trouble. For example, when Ira came back and the boys went “tick-tocking,” Turtle lets the boys go ahead and be mean and she does not take any part in it (pg. 86). Also, the boys do not allow her into “The Diaper Gang” throughout the book although they make her care for the babies every once in awhile. Turtle never loses her composure and begins arguing with the boys to allow her in their gang. She seems careless. When Aunt Minnie got bite by a scorpion, Turtle took out the duties such as cleaning, giving Kermit a nap, and cooked without being asked (pg. 121-122). Throughout this book, Turtle leaves readers with a great impression of how nice it is to see a well behaved middle school child. Also, under the circumstances, reader would probably believe Turtle would act like Too Bad in the story and be the rebellious, trouble making character. She is not though; she sets a good example of how a person should act.

Curriculum Connection:

This book can be used dealing with a lesson on maps. As Turtle found the map in the old piano as Smokey falls through it, the children follow the map. Students could even act out and pretend to be the characters in the story. They also could even get lost and finally find the treasure somewhere in the classroom or even outside. This will help students with their map skills.
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About Jennifer L. Holm

Jennifer L. Holm is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling children's author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels OUR ONLY MAY AMELIA, PENNY FROM HEAVEN, and TURTLE IN PARADISE. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series -- the popular Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She is also the author of several other highly praised books, i...more

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“Everyone things children are sweet as Necco Wafers, but I've lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten. The only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it.” — 10 people liked it

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