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Turtle in Paradise is a 2010 Newbery Honor Book by Jennifer L. Holm. The book also won the Golden Kite Award. The main character, Turtle, is eleven years old and lives in Key West, Florida during the Great Depression.

Plot
The story takes place during the Great Depression, in 1935.Turtle is an eleven-year-old girl who is sent to live with her aunt and cousins in Key West, Florida, because her mother's employer refuses to let Turtle and her cat, Smokey, stay in her house. When Turtle first arrives, her Aunt Minnie is distraught because she hadn't received her sister's letter about Turtle coming to live with her. Turtle's cousins are Beans, the eldest, who gives a cold welcome to Turtle, Kermit, who has a heart defect and must take naps in the middle of the day and must not partake in overwhelming activities such as running, and Buddy, the youngest, who is prone to having accidents in his pants. Aunt Minnie eventually lets Turtle stay, but takes residence in Beans' room, causing him to dislike her more.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 live with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle's ever seen before though. It's hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she's spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love. According to Cheryl Whitmore in Library Media Connection she states that "This book is based on the life of Jennifer Holm's great grandmother. The characters in the story are realistic, and readers will find themselves and their friends reflected in these pages. Turtle is sent to live with relatives in Key West, Florida, while her mother works in New Jersey. She quickly becomes a member of her aunt's household. Much of the story is placed in the context of the Great Depression, including references to historical fects and personalities."

Description
Turtle in Paradise  is a small format book measuring 5.2 x 0.5 x 7.6 inches. This small book is for children ages form 8 to 12 years. The grade level for this book is 3 to 7.The Lexile for this book is 610L.The sales rank 109,493 in 6 months

Critical Reception
Reed Elsevier in the Publishers Weekly in 2010 states"Everyone thinks children are sweet as Neceo 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 house keeping job that won't allow children, she sends Turtle to her estranged family in Depression-era Key West" ]According to Horn Book Magazine is the property of Library Journals, "It’s 1935, and narrator Turtle is sent to live in Key West. With her stoic nature and quick wits, she’s able to fit in with her boy cousins. Turtle’s voice is tart and world-weary. Though her narrative is peppered with references from the time, modern-day readers will have no trouble relating, and the fast-moving plot will keep them interested to the end.Reading list, websites" The New York Times Book Review article |A379674284&contentSet=GALE|A379674284# "To Be Young Again" by Monica Edinger she states "Who doesn't enjoy a well-drawn curmudgeon? Children's books are rife with them. From dour Eeyore moping about the Hundred Acre Wood to the irritable Mary Poppins, they come in all shapes and species. Proudly singular, such cantankerous characters are invariably exasperating, endearing and entertaining all at the same time. And now along comes Jennifer L. Holm with a doozy... Life is out of whack for 11-year-old Ellie. Navigating middle school is proving to be a challenge, especially since she can no longer count on Brianna, her best friend since forever, who has discovered a passion for volleyball and now spends all her time with her teammates. Then there are Ellie's amicably divorced parents, a high school drama teacher and a touring actor, who pour their heart and soul into theater. Lacking any enthusiasm for sport or stage, Ellie is pondering just what her passion could possibly be when a stranger comes to town.