Turtle in Paradise

When you teach dyslexic students, it is very hard to find books that match both their maturity and interest levels as well as their reading level. It is especially hard to find Middle Reader books that are interesting, funny and engaging for an older reader. So when you find one that is an appropriate story for younger readers as well as an engaging story for older readers, it is time to do a little dance of happiness! I did just such a dance after reading Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm!It is 1935, and Turtle's mom got a job as a housekeeper for a woman who wouldn't let Turtle and her cat live with them, so she and Smokey were sent to Key West to live with her mother's sister. While there, Turtle has to quickly adapt to island life, from checking your shoes for scorpions to the odd nicknames everyone seems to have. Her mischievous cousins, Kermit, Beans, and Buddy, spice up the story with their antics. Beans and a few other local kids have started the Diaper Gang, who are basically roving babysitters for the Bad Babies. And their secret diaper rash formula is legendary on the island!When Turtle finds out her grandmother is really alive (even though her mother told her she was dead), she realizes there is more of her own history on this island than she could have imagined. When she finds a treasure map to a hidden pirate's treasure, she takes the gang along with her on an adventure that changes them and the island in more ways that one.This is the kind of story that has you giggling out loud and loving every page. It is a short enough story so as not to be too overwhelming for beginning readers. The writing is perfect for higher skilled elementary students to low-skilled middle school students, but even high school students would get a kick out of these kids and their goofiness. I know I did!The fact that it is based on the author's grandmother and her life in Key West makes the story even more interesting. At the end of the book, there are a few pages where the author explains which parts of the story are based on real situations. She even includes pictures of places and people mentioned in the story! This is a cute little book that spans a great spectrum of interest. Give it a shot! It is a great beach read that you can finish in a sitting!

I started book months ago and had to purchase it to finish at a slow pace.

Cute story line that centers around a girl who isn't in the "perfect family" category. A little history about the keys. I make a matching sea turtle pillowcase to give as a literacy prize.

Adult readers actually might relate to this story quicker than younger ones. Both groups are likely to be satisfied.Optioned by her hard-pressed mother to relatives in Depression-era Key West, a young girl (aka, Turtle) arrives as a surprise to the Florida family. It is something of a jolt to her, as well. She has shoes. Her cousins and their friends do not. Scorpions abound. But so does food. Children are directly in the flow of neighborhood life. A diaper gang sits babies in a wagon for hours at a time and is paid in candy.Turtle’s story is rich with atmosphere. She identifies with Little Orphan Annie and resents Shirley Temple. She imitates life with Terry and the Pirates and briefly speaks to Ernest Hemingway.Her life quickly fills with adventure, dilemma and resilience. What seems eccentric at the outset, she soon absorbs into her daily way. The strong narrative deals frankly with the mistakes and accidents of childhood, the fissures in emerging friendships and the question marks of family history. This well-paced tale does a fine job telling it like it was.

- Good book I love it I almost cryed !Happyto read it I love the details on the sound of the People walking.

I like to read good books for any age level. Books like these, that tell a good story, are GREAT for helping people learn English. Also, this particular book is set in my hometown, and I live on one of the little streets referenced in the story. Ashe Street, a half block from the (also referenced) graveyard...where Coreys have a pretty nice family plot. The infamous scorpions seem to have pretty much disappeared--maybe the new pests, iguanas, have eaten them. The termites we still have, but buildings can be tented to stop the dry wood ones. The setting's good, the scenes are well painted. The coconut telegraph is still operating just fine.

Turtle, who is a 10-year-old girl, is sent to the Florida Keys in the 1920s to live with family she's never met, so that her mom can keep her job. At first, she struggles to fit in until she discovers a treasure map in her grandmother's rotting piano. This leads Turtle and the Diaper Gang on a thrilling adventure.I enjoyed Turtle in Paradise because it made me laugh out loud. For example, the Diaper Gang got paid in sweets and were always trying to get free ice cream. But Turtle outsmarted Beans and figured out a way to get the ice cream. Also, the character’s names, such as Slow Poke and Beans were funny. My favorite part of the book was when Turtle realized that the real treasure was her family.

She absolutely loved it.

The book was great!!! My daughter couldn’t stop reading it .she atleast read it 7 times . She really loved the fact that there were pictures and things about the storyat the back of the book.Hearing her excitement I too want to read the book!! She recomends reading FULL OF BEANS before TURTLE IN PARADISE .

Happy with order. Was 2 days later than expected.

It was book that shined like a star. It was amazing but I would have liked a ending that would be more interesting and eventful ending. But Jennifer l holm wrote a book that could not be described in words only by our feelings

Amazing book

Turtle is a quite unique character! Other characters like Beans and Pork chop are realistic and change a little into another personality towards the end. It has a ending which may be happy for some and a little disappointing and sudden to others. This is a book with a lot of deeper meaning. Holm has described everything aptly and has put outstanding consequences in it.