While recovering from having my tonsils taken out, I read a lot of books. One I really enjoyed was Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm. If her name is familiar to you, it's probably because she is also the author of the Babymouse books.Turtle in Paradise, however, is not a graphic novel.
A 2011 Newbery Honor book, this is a historical fiction novel set in the Florida Keys during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to the Florida Keys to live with her aunt and her cousins when her mother takes a job as a housekeeper for a woman who won't allow children in her home. It's the Great Depression, so Turtle's mother needs to take whatever work she can get, even if it means being away from her only child.
This book is full of kids with goofy nicknames (you noticed the main character's name is Turtle, right?), a treasure hunt, a hurricane, a famous writer, and a twist ending that may just leave you a bit heart-broken.
I read this book in an evening because I simply couldn't put it down. (Okay, okay, I admit, it kept me up WAY past my bedtime, but it was worth it.)
I would recommend this book to students in fourth grade and up. Grown ups would also enjoy this quick read!
