Book cover accessed from: goodreads.com
Bibliographic data:
Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. turtle in paradise. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-375-83688-6
Summary:
Turtle, an 11 year old girl, can no longer live with her mother. In her short lived life she has created a shell that protects her against her mother’s failed dreams. The 1935 depression has caused many hardships and loss of jobs. Turtle’s mother has just found a job with a woman that does not like children; she makes the heartbreaking decision to send Turtle away to live with unknown relatives in Key West. Turtle only knows Key West through the eyes of her mother, who loves to dream and paints a beautiful picture of what it is like. It is a shocker to Turtle that Key West is HOT; she has a grandmother she thought was dead, cousins that are a pain, and an aunt that resents her mother.
Critical analysis:
Turtle is a believable character that readers can identify with as we read about her separation from her mother and her adventures in Key West. Turtle is intelligent, perceptive, and independent. Turtle’s story takes place during a time in our nation’s history when the economy forced families to make choices that had them live separately until situations improved. Turtle arrives with her Aunt Minnie and has to explain why she is there…“I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” When asked how long she will stay she tells her aunt, “Until we can get a place of our own, I guess,” “Or until she gets a new job where I can live with her.” (p. 19)
The plot is full of adventures, fun, and personal experiences that allow Turtle to finally come out of the hard shell she has created in order to protect herself from all the hardships she has had to endure. It is presented by Ms. Holm in terms that children can understand, it is not overwhelming with details, and she keeps it realistic to the period. Even Ernest “Papa” Hemingway is part of the regular folks in Key West.
The Depression, 1935…jobs and money do not come easy and sometimes not at all. Difficult times and a woman that does not like kids cause Turtle to say goodbye to mama without a tear and move to Key West, Florida, with an aunt she has never met. In Key West Turtle is exposed to a whole new world; it is a place that isn’t anything she has ever seen or dreamed of. She learns about Alligator pears (avocadoes), scorpions, the Conch Telegraph, and the Diaper Gang, and Duval Street where there is a movie theater that plays Shirley Temple pictures.
Turtle’s experiences—getting to know extended family, where she came from, and gaining a sense of belonging--are all things that shape her life and are relevant even today.
Jennifer L. Holm has been able to weave her family lore with some of American’s historical past. She has captured the flavor of the times and has created a seamless story that brings to light the uniqueness of Key West.
In the Author’s Note, Jennifer L. Holm, discusses what inspired her to write Turtle in Paradise, and explains/clarifies historical information that was woven into the story. Additionally, she has pictures of some of the places, activities, and the real people that inspired Kermit and Pork Chop in the story and includes a list of resources and websites.
Review excerpt(s):
Publishers Weekly, 05/03/2010
Turtle, the witty 11-year-old narrator of this standout historical novel, is a straight shooter: “Everyone thinks children are sweet as Necco Wafers, but I’ve lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten.” When her romantic and unrealistic mother, who’s always falling in and out of love, gets a housekeeping job that won’t allow children, she sends Turtle to her estranged family in Depression-era Key West. Though her mother hails Key West as paradise, Turtle initially think it’s a dump (“Truth is, the place looks like a broken chair that’s been left out in the sun to rot”). Two-time Newbery Honor author Holm again crafts a winning heroine who, despite her hardened exterior, gradually warms to her eccentric family members, including her unruly cousins and waspish grandmother (who Turtle thought was dead). Infused with period pop culture references, a strong sense of place, and the unique traditions and culture of Key West natives (aka “Conchs”), this humorous adventure effectively portrays Turtle as caught between her mother’s Hollywood-inspired dreams and the very real family and geography that offer a different kind of paradise. Ages 8–12. (May) Publishers Weekly, A Reed Business Information Publication [1]
BookList, 04/15/2010
Eleven-year-old Turtle is not one to suffer fools gladly. And she runs into a lot of fools, especially the no-goods her starry-eyed mother meets. So it’s a tough little Turtle who arrives in Key West in June of 1935. She’s been sent to Florida to stay with relatives because her mother’s latest housekeeping job doesn’t allow children. Unfortunately, Mama has neglected to tell Aunt Minnie she’s coming, and Turtle gets the stink eye from cousins with monikers like Buddy and Beans. As Turtle soon learns, everything is different in Key West, from the fruit hanging on trees to the scorpions in nightgowns to the ways kids earn money. She can’t be part of her cousins’ Diaper Gang (no girls allowed), which takes care of fussy babies, but when she finds a treasure map, she hopes she’ll be on Easy Street like Little Orphan Annie. Holm uses family stories as the basis for this tale, part romp, part steely-eyed look at the Depression era. Reminiscent of Addie in the movie Paper Moon, Turtle is just the right mixture of knowingness and hope; the plot is a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure. The many references to 1930s entertainments (Terry and the Pirates, Shirley Temple) will mostly go over kids’ heads, but they’ll get how much comics and movies meant to a population desperate for smiles. An author’s note (with photos) shows Holm’s family close-up -- Ilene Cooper. Booklist, published by the American Library Association. [1]
School Library Journal, 04/01/2010
Gr 3–5— In 1935, jobs are hard to come by, and Turtle's mother is lucky to find work as a live-in housekeeper. When she learns that her employer can't stand children, she sends her 11-year-old daughter from New Jersey to Key West to live with relatives. Turtle discovers a startlingly different way of life amid boisterous cousins, Nana Philly, and buried treasure. This richly detailed novel was inspired by Holm's great-grandmother's stories. Readers who enjoy melodic, humorous tales of the past won't want to miss it.—Stephanie Malosh, Vernon Area Public Library, Lincolnshire, IL School Library Journal, A Reed Business Information Publication[1]
Connections: [2]
In the Author’s Note at the back of Turtle in Paradise, Jennifer L. Holm writes, “Then, as now, entertainment was a great distraction, and movies, radio shows, and the funny pages provided much amusement for children. Little Orphan Annie, Shirley Temple, and the Shadow were all superstars in their day.” Do an online search for examples of entertainment media from the Depression era.
As a writing extension, have each student write a “letter through time” to Turtle, describing their favorite media and personalities of the present day.
Additional activities: [2]
awards: [2]
2011 Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
Booklist Editor's Choice
Chicago Library Best of the Best
Spring 2010 Junior Library Guild Selection
New York Times Bestseller
Starred reviews in
Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
Booklist
Bibliographies:
Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. turtle in paradise. New York: Random House.
Holm, Jennifer L. 2010. Turtle in paradise. Random House, 2010. Book Index with Reviews, EBSCOhost (accessed July 29, 2011).
Citations:
[1] Jennifer L. Holm. 2010. Turtle in paradise. (accessed July 29, 2011).
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