Tag: turtles

REVIEW: Birtle and the Purple Turtles by Tara J. Hannon

REVIEW: Birtle and the Purple Turtles by Tara J. Hannon

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Tootie makes a new friend in Turtletown, but they are a curious looking turtle.  But “Teeny” and Tootie discover they have SO much in common, they quickly become best friends. Even though they found her a shell so she looks more turtle-like, though, Teeny really isn’t enjoying the food or activities the other turtles like. And she’s afraid to let Tootie know.

Review

This is amazing! I adored Tootie’s enthusiasm and encouragement. What a perfect friend to have during an identity crisis! And Teeny is so sweet and worried about not fitting in. The artwork is adorable, and the color scheme was perfect for me. This is a lovely story about friendship and acceptance and identity. I highly recommend this graphic novel for chapter book readers. This is labeled “Volume 1,” so I hope that means there will be more adventures for these two friends.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

 

 

REVIEW: The Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady

REVIEW: The Littlest Turtle by Lysa Mullady

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Magination Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Littlest Turtle overhears the bigger turtles talking about how upset they are because they only get to eat berries from the ground. The berries are often sour, if not completely spoiled. But the smaller turtles who climb on the backs of the larger ones get to eat all of the fresher berries.

Littlest Turtle talks to Biggest Turtle about what she overhears. Then she decides to use her voice to support the bigger turtles in their requests for change.

Review

This book is published by Magination Press, the children’s book imprint of the American Psychological Association. Littlest Turtle’s story leads into a discussion of being a good citizen. The Reader’s Note points out skills like empathy, voice, and accepting differences in an effort to help kids (and grown ups) be more community minded.

The story is sweet and simple. Even the youngest readers can connect to ideas of sharing, fairness, and helping while older readers can tackle concepts like empathy.  The illustrations are darling and add to the sweet vibe of the story. I loved reading this and digging into the backmatter. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great!

REVIEW: The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe

REVIEW: The Islanders by Mary Alice Monroe

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Jake’s dad is critically injured while serving in Afghanistan, his mom sends Jake to Dewees Island to stay with his grandmother, Honey. At first, Jake’s upset – he has to leave his friends, go somewhere without wifi, and he’s worried about his dad. Jake also discovers his grandmother hasn’t been doing so well since his grandfather died. Most of the food in the fridge is long past edible. The house is filled with dusty stacks of books. And his grandmother spends a lot of time in her room.

But Jake starts helping his grandmother, and he makes a couple friends his age. And that changes everything. But even as he starts to feel more comfortable on the island, he worries about how his dad’s injury will change things.

Review

This was great! There’s a terrific blending here of Jake’s personal story – with the island, with his grandmother, and with his father’s injury – and a strong friendship story. Each of the three kids – Jake, Lovie, and Macon – are challenged by something. And their friendship helps each kid face that thing and address it in some way.

I enjoyed the naturalist/conservationist pieces – Jake learning about the island wildlife in general as well as the work the three kids do together for the (adorable!) turtles.

There’s a lot here for readers to love – great characters, a fascinating setting, and just enough interpersonal conflict to keep the story moving and the characters growing. I was excited to see that Goodreads lists this as the first in a series. I would definitely read more books with these characters in the future!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.