Review - Turtle in Paradise

Title:  Turtle in Paradise
Author:  Jennifer Holm
Review Copy Provided by:  Random House Books for Young Readers


About the Book:  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 are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met.

Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. 

My Review:   What a good little book!  It took me about 2 hours to read it all because I wanted to know what happened.  I love that it is based on real people, places, and events.  Jennifer Holm does a great job with this story for 9-12 year olds.

I have to say, that I love Turtle!  She is just so tough and sweet at the same time!  How horrible, to be sent to live with your aunt because your mom's boss doesn't like kids.  Probably didn't make her feel good, but she made the best of what could have been a real bad situation.  Her aunt didn't know she was coming, her cousins don't want to share the house with a girl, and she misses her mom!  But, she grows to love Key West and you will too after reading this.

Holm's descriptions of Key West are so vivid that you can almost see it, and feel as if you are there right alongside Turtle as she walks the streets with her cousins and the "Diaper Gang."   What's great is that at the end of the story, Holm gives us actual photos of some of the people and places that are mentioned in the book, or the people or places that they were based on.  I love having that to compare with my "mental movie" of the book!  It really brings the book to life.

What was once her most prized possession, a pair of shoes, becomes something that's no longer needed at her new home.  I felt like the shoes were a pivotal part of the book.  Turtle holds on to those as if that will keep her from forgetting her past, or the future that she and her mom have planned with Archie.  But, when Turtle loses one shoe, she seems to lose part of her hope that mom will come back.  She is growing to like it in Key West and proceeds to become one of the barefoot neighborhood traipsing children.  As a matter of fact, she realizes that Key West just might be the future she wasn't looking for.

Turtle learns a lot about herself in this book, and the author does a great job of letting the reader figure it out slowly.  It is really fun to see how the story unfolds and everyone fits together.  If you have children who love a good story and want to learn a little about the past in a place they may not know about, then pick this up for them.  You might enjoy it as well!

Author Interview and Contest - Barbara Dee

Please join me in welcoming author Barbara Dee to the blog today.  Barbara is the author of the newly released tween novel, This is Me From Now On from Simon and Schuster.  She has also written 2 other books:  Solving Zoe and Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life.   You can find her online at her website, Barbara Dee or her blog, Barbara Dee Books.

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WFAR (Write For A Reader): When did you know that you wanted to be an author?

BD (Barbara Dee): Actually, I’ve always known that! When I was a little kid, I used to say I wanted to be an “authoress.” (I also said I wanted to be a ballerina, but as it turns out, you don’t see too many five-foot-eleven women in tutus!)

WFAR: What else have you written besides this book?

BD: I’ve written the tween novels JUST ANOTHER DAY IN MY INSANELY REAL LIFE, and SOLVING ZOE, which was just named one of the 2010 Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year. It’s also a finalist in the 2010 New York State Library Association Three Apples Book Award. What’s so wonderful about that award is that it comes directly from kids!

WFAR: What was the inspiration or back story for This is Me From Now On?

BD: When I was in seventh grade, I was a lot like Evie—a good girl who was getting a bit restless. So I became friendly with a much wilder girl who got me into some mischief—nothing like what happens in THIS IS ME FROM NOW ON. But this girl jolted me out of my comfort zone and kept me laughing. She also helped me figure out a few things about myself. I think every girl in middle school needs a friend like that—as long as she’s careful!

WFAR: Why did you choose to write for tweens as opposed to other audiences?

BD: When my own kids were tweens, they’d outgrown the Children’s Section in our library, but they weren’t ready for some of the darker, edgier books in the YA Section. It occurred to me that kids in those “in between years” needed more choices—and they especially needed fun, funny books that took them seriously. As it happens, I’m in close touch with my own tween years, and can channel those emotions very easily. So I decided to try writing for tweens. And I’m having a blast!

WFAR: Do you have writing mentors or influences?

BD: No one in particular. But I sometimes read Lynda Barry’s WHAT IT IS for inspiration. I also love her strips about Marlys—she gets so deep into a kid’s head.

WFAR: What is your favorite piece or book that you have written?

BD: That’s like asking a mom who’s her favorite kid! My favorite is whatever I’m writing at the moment.

WFAR: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

BD: I like to read (of course!), watch movies and baseball, swim, do crossword puzzles, and eat naughty sugary things.

WFAR: What are some of your favorite things: book, genre, author, color, music, etc? 

BD:  I honestly don’t have a favorite book or author, because I love so many! And it drives me crazy when people are snobby about genres. I love HAMLET and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and THE GREAT GATSBY—and I also love WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE and GOING BOVINE and CALVIN & HOBBES. I’m also just as open about music—when I drive I like to listen to Dave Matthews, Chopin, Taylor Swift, Duke Ellington, Pink, Bob Dylan, show tunes, and the GLEE soundtrack. But I’ve always loved purple. That’s one definite all-time fave.

WFAR: Can you describe your writing space for us? Where is it, what’s around you?

BD: I have a ridiculously cluttered writing desk in my bedroom (kind of like Cassie’s in JUST ANOTHER DAY). Sometimes my work spreads out on the floor. When this happens my cats nest on top of it, which makes for furry manuscripts.

WFAR: What do you think about having your book reviewed by book bloggers?

BD: I think it’s terrific! The more voices readers get to hear, the better!

WFAR: What’s in the works for you now?

BD: I’m in the process of revising my next book, TRAUMA QUEEN, which will be out next spring. It’s about a tween girl with the most embarrassing mom ever.

WFAR: Anything else you would like readers to know?

BD: My favorite sugary thing is chocolate. I’m mentioning this in hopes someone will bake me something with frosting.

WFAR: Thank you for allowing me to interview you! By the way, I am a purple lover too and my favorite sugary thing is chocolate!

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About This is Me From Now On:  Sometimes your life just needs a little jolt. 

This is what Evie's new friend Francesca tells her, and soon enough, Evie's life has had something more like an earthquake. Francesca thinks life is dull unless you go after everything you want and say everything on your mind all the time--and sometimes that includes giving other people a little behind the scenes help to give them what she thinks they want.

Evie can't always tell if she's horrified or fascinated by everything Francesca convinces her to do, but ultimately, she comes to see friendship--and life--in a whole new light.
 

Barbara has sent me 2 swag bags to giveaway this week. Wouldn't you like to win one? Inside you will find some of Evie's favorite things:  Lip Smackers lip balm, bubble gum and a re-creation of Evie's amber necklace.  Winners will also receive one of Barbara's bookmarks.  Comment on this post for an entry.  Spread the word about this contest on your blog, Twitter or Facebook and earn extra entries.  Just leave what you did in the comments.  Contest runs through midnight Tuesday May 18th.  Winners will be chosen at random and posted on Wednesday, May 19th.  Good luck!

Review: Little Miss Matched series

I am excited to showcase this series today!  Any of these boxed sets would make a great gift for a young girl in your life.  Many thanks to Laura at Workman Publishing for sending me copies of these to review.  Here are the 4 boxed sets in the series, along with their descriptions.

The Artist in Me! contains everything an aspiring young artist needs to develop her talent, improve her skills, and discover how to express herself as only she can. The 96-page book is filled with dozens of tutorials on the principles of drawing. But it also goes farther, giving the reader strategies for learning to "see" as an artist—and think as an artist. It reminds readers that there are no mistakes and celebrates the crooked lines as well as the straight. Included in the kit is a complete set of tools: 3 drawing pencils, an artist's sketchbook, a set of vine charcoal, oil pastels, sanding pad, blending sticks, color wheel, kneaded eraser, and assorted charcoal drawing paper.

Tween girls love to write, whether keeping a diary of their deepest thoughts or beginning to express themselves for the public through poetry, songs, or fiction. The Writer in Me! is an all-in-one creativity kit for every up-and-coming wordsmith, written in a fun, accessible way by Arielle Eckstut, co-author of Putting Your Passion into Print, one of the founders of LittleMissMatched, and author of the previous LMM books.

A book of motivation, instruction, inspiration, technique, and tips, it helps the young writer on her journey—to find her inner voice, to observe the world, to discover the forms of writing that are most appealing. The kit also includes a full suite of writer's tools: three different types of journals (an observation notepad, a diary, and a lined blank book), a handy rhyming dictionary, a "Why Writers Write" inspirational poster, and a deck of word cards and story-starters to get the creative juices flowing.

Pajama Party in a Box is the all-in-one pajama party kit with everything a girl needs to throw the perfect— and perfectly her—pajama party. The 96-page, full-colorbook is a guide to every step in the process: how to find a theme; how to make your own invitations, party favors, goodie bags, and decorations; what to serve, including fun recipes; plus games (Madcap Scavenger Hunt, Expert Witness, Pass the Gesture) and crafts (dreamcatchers, scrapbooking, transform a t-shirt). Also inside the keepsake box are sheets of stickers, a spin-orama truth or dare game, scrapbooking pages, and a Little MissMatched autograph memory album for all the guests to personalize.

Are you a perfectionist? An artist? A leader? An introvert, or an extrovert? What's your personality profile? Marvelous & Fabulous Me Quiz Book is the 128-page, full-color guide to finding out all about who you really, really are.

50 personality quizzes offer insights into mood, preferences, personality types, fashion sense, passions, and more. Pick up a pencil, and learn more about yourself than you ever thought possible.

My Thoughts:  Wow!  These boxed sets are great!  Oh, to be a tween again...well, not really, but I think that tween girls will absolutely love these!

Each box not only includes a book, but also other items to bring out the artist, writer, fun, girl inside your tween.  In a day and time where imagination is often stifled by video games and technology, this series strives to bring that out.  As an educator, I am always looking for items like that.

The Marvelous Me box is perfect for the girl who loves to know about herself and her friends.  The book has 50 personality quizzes that are short and fun.  Young girls will enjoy learning about themselves and are sure to want to try the quizzes out on their friends after school or at a party.  It's all about figuring out the who, what, and why of YOU!

The Writer and Artist in Me boxes will make good gifts for young girls who love to write or draw.  Along with the books, they get other fun items to encourage writing and drawing, like journals, notebooks, sketchbook, oil pastels, etc.  What fun!  I can see girls turning to these boxes on a rainy day or in the evenings after homework is done.

Finally, my favorite box is the Pajama Party in a Box.  As a girl, I loved slumber parties, and I don't think they happen nearly enough for girls today.  Everything you need to throw the perfect party is in this box.  The book talks girls through the planning, recipes, and games for a pajama party.  Then, the box includes an autograph book, stickers and other fun items to use at your party.  My niece would love this, as she lives in a house full of boys and desperately needs some girl time.

With Christmas just around the corner, I recommend any of these sets for one or all of the tween girls in your life.  I know I will be giving them to some of mine!  Workman Publishing scores a 10 with me and these boxed sets.