Turtle in Paradise

Starred review from May 3, 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.

March 15, 2021
A world-weary girl is sent to live with family in Key West during the Great Depression. Times are tough in 1935, and Turtle doesn't believe in Hollywood endings like her starry-eyed Mama does. When Mama gets a job as a housekeeper for a woman who can't abide children, Turtle is sent down to Key West, Florida, to live with her aunt's family. She learns that she has three boisterous boy cousins who, along with their friends, form the Diaper Gang, an enterprising babysitting venture in town. Denied official entry into the Diaper Gang because she's a girl, Turtle nevertheless spends her days with them, observing the quirks and cultural particularities of the locals, from their colorful jargon and nicknames to the kids' tendency to run around barefoot. This graphic-novel adaptation of Holm's acclaimed 2010 novel is perfectly suited to conveying the vibrant local color of Key West as well as the comic pace of Turtle's adventures with the Diaper Gang. Chapters unfold in vignettelike fashion, building to reveal new information about the history of Turtle's family that she was unaware of while gradually chipping away at her tough exterior. Turtle's immediate family presents as White; there is some reflection of Key West's racial diversity in secondary characters. A lively adaptation certain to entertain readers old and new. (author's note, notes about the illustrations, concept art) (Graphic historical fiction. 9-12)

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Starred review from June 1, 2021

Gr 3-8-Don't feel too sorry for Turtle. She might be resentful and fearful about being sent to live with her aunt and cousins while her mother takes a job that doesn't allow kids, but, as it turns out, the dusty, sun-drenched Florida Keys are just the place to ride out the Great Depression, especially once she teams up with her rascally cousin Beans and his pals, the Diaper Gang (so named for their babysitting prowess). Holm's classic summer novel, full of pranks, peril, mystery, and discovery, gets a beautiful graphic novel treatment that if anything improves upon the original. Turtle's smart, irritable, fully rounded personality puts her in the same class as New Kid's Jordan Banks and My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich's Ebony-Grace Norfleet. Readers will enjoy tagging along with Turtle as she gets to know her mother's family, explores the wonders of the Keys, and becomes part of the fabric of the town. Gorgeous flora and period architecture establish a firm sense of place, while scenes that take place on the water are awash in turquoise blue. A bleached-pastel palette, confident linework, and manga-influenced exaggerated expressions lend scenes of unfamiliar historical activities like dragging babies around in a wagon a contemporary quality. Turtle and her family are white. VERDICT Adventure, friendship, and unforgettable characters make for a perfect tale. This graphic novel adaptation will sit comfortably on the shelf alongside books by Faith Erin Hicks, Jen Wang, and Victoria Jamieson.-Paula Willey, Enoch Pratt Free Lib., Baltimore

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2021
Here is a graphic novel adaptation of Holm's 2011 Newbery Honor Book of the same title (rev. 5/10). Turtle arrives in Key West to stay with her aunt and cousins after her mother gets a housekeeping job for a wealthy woman who cannot tolerate children. Because the United States is in the midst of the Great Depression, work is scarce, but Turtle's cousin Beans leads the Diaper Gang, a cheeky group of preteens who cares for babies and their irritated bums with its exclusive formula for fighting diaper rash. Turtle never experiences a dull moment with this crew, and they initiate a variety of mostly harmless antics. Holm's (Sunny Side Up, rev. 9/15, and sequels) novel lends itself easily to a graphic format: its short chapters translate well into paneled illustrations, and the great bits of fun in the novel now get full-color treatment (highlights being big ocean adventures and tick-tocking--a naughty prank). Ganucheau shines when drawing the tropical scenery and setting of the Florida Keys, and colorist Pien catches the eye with soft pastels and skillful mood-setting. The titular paradise is not always sunny, but all visual efforts reinforce the brightness and buoyancy of this idiosyncratic place. Niki Marion

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2021
Here is a graphic novel adaptation of Holm's 2011 Newbery Honor Book of the same title (rev. 5/10). Turtle arrives in Key West to stay with her aunt and cousins after her mother gets a housekeeping job for a wealthy woman who cannot tolerate children. Because the United States is in the midst of the Great Depression, work is scarce, but Turtle's cousin Beans leads the Diaper Gang, a cheeky group of preteens who cares for babies and their irritated bums with its exclusive formula for fighting diaper rash. Turtle never experiences a dull moment with this crew, and they initiate a variety of mostly harmless antics. Holm's (Sunny Side Up, rev. 9/15, and sequels) novel lends itself easily to a graphic format: its short chapters translate well into paneled illustrations, and the great bits of fun in the novel now get full-color treatment (highlights being big ocean adventures and tick-tocking -- a naughty prank). Ganucheau shines when drawing the tropical scenery and setting of the Florida Keys, and colorist Pien catches the eye with soft pastels and skillful mood-setting. The titular paradise is not always sunny, but all visual efforts reinforce the brightness and buoyancy of this idiosyncratic place.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)