Holm, Jennifer L. Turtle in paradise. New York, NY: Yearling Book, 2011.

Plot Summary:

When Turtle’s mom gets a job as a housekeeper that does not want children around, Turtle is shipped off to live with her aunt in Key West Florida.  Turtle knows that during the Depression you must do what you must do to survive so she bravely sets up home with family she has never met before.   Turtle makes friends with her male cousins and their friends.  As a group, they call themselves the “Diaper Gang” and babysit for candy.  On Turtle’s journeys, she discovers her Grandmother and makes a bond with her even though she is known to be mean.  Turtle and her friends go on an adventure looking for buried treasure in this fun book that sometimes things don’t pan out perfectly but family is important.

Critical Analysis:

Turtle is a strong girl she understands her mother’s predicament and does what she needs to do without complaint.  Holm’s does a great job of bringing Depression era Key West to life.  The characters and real places in the story make it a believable read.  The book is humorous as well as bringing in historical details that will make this enjoyable for children that are not interested in history.

The language in the story fits the era perfectly.  Turtle says “Forget hair tonic and encyclopedias.  The diaper gang is on to something with this diaper rash cream.”  In the story, there are numerous references to era relevant things such as Little Orphan Annie and Terry Lee.  Holm’s even weaves in a real hurricane that hit the Florida Keys during the time that the children were on their treasure hunt.  The references to real historical events and pieces of history blend seamlessly with this humorous story.

The author’s note brings together the authenticity of the story with pictures and explanations of how Depression era life was like in the Key West.  Holm’s provides resources and websites to support the authenticity of her story.

Rewards and Reviews:

Newbery Honor (2011)
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2013)

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2012)

Texas Bluebonnet List

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: 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.

BOOKLIST STARRED REVIEW: 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.

Connections:

Pull other books by Jennifer Holm:

Penny from Heaven . ISBN: 9780375836893

Our Only May Amelia  ISBN: 9780064408561

Sunny Side Up ISBN: 0545741653

 The Fourteenth Goldfish ISBN: 0375870644

Full of Beans ISBN: 0553510398

Have students listen to an old-time radio show like “Little Orphan Annie”

Have students research Depression-era Key West Florida.

Have students create their own treasure maps.

Have a Key West themed scavenger hunt in the Library.

Have students watch a clip of Shirley Temple.