Turtle Boy
by M Evan Wolkenstein (Author)
SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER
"A boy who has spent his life living inside a shell discovers the importance of taking chance in this winner" (Booklist, starred review)
This middle-grade debut, which will surely appeal to fans of Wonder, explores self-image, friendship, and grief, while highlighting the importance of taking chances. It will make you laugh and cry, and you will be eager to share it with someone you love.
Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. His science teacher finds out about the turtles he spent his summer collecting from the marsh behind school and orders him to release them back into the wild. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he has to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. Unfortunately, Will hates hospitals.
At first, the boys don't get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster, go to a concert and a school dance, and swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with his turtles. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend's behalf before it's too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will's comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ's guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell.
"A strong debut novel about grief, loss, and coming out of one's shell." --School Library Journal
"Turtle Boy--both boy and book--is a winner." --Booklist, starred review
"A beautiful debut that wears its heart on its sleeve" --TheNerdDaily
"A masterful mingling of deeply resonant themes, including self-esteem, loneliness, loss, and the rewards of improbable friendships." --Publishers Weekly
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Publishers Weekly
"I think it's going to be a living nightmare," Will Levine replies when his chirpy mother, on the first day of seventh grade, predicts that this year will be better than last. The forthright narrator of Wolkenstein's debut middle grade novel proves prescient: he's taunted by bullies who dub him "Turtle Boy" for his chin, which is shrinking due to micrognathia; he learns that he'll need extensive surgery to correct the issue, which otherwise could affect his breathing; his best friend has ditched him for her volleyball teammates; and his emotional sanctuary, the swampland from which he has purloined several turtles that are now his beloved pets, is slated for development. Perhaps most unsettling to the boy, terrified of hospitals since his father's sudden death during surgery, his rabbi recruits him to visit RJ, a hospitalized boy with a fatal illness, to fulfill his bar mitzvah community service requirement. Will's affecting bond with the patient brings him out of his shell as he tackles comfort-level-defying challenges on RJ's bucket list and reconciles long-simmering emotions linked to his own parents. A masterful mingling of deeply resonant themes, including self-esteem, loneliness, loss, and the rewards of improbable friendships. Ages 10-up. (May)
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
Gr 5 Up--Will Levine is a seventh grader with several problems. He is bullied severely by his classmates for his small chin, his former science teacher discovers he has been hoarding wild turtles in his room from the marsh behind school, and now he's being forced to spend his spare time in the hospital visiting a terminally ill boy, RJ, as a community service project for his upcoming bar mitzvah. Will has an intense phobia of hospitals because his dad died in one when he was young; he is also fearful of an upcoming surgery he needs for medical reasons. However, RJ may be just the person to help Will shift his perspective and gain confidence. RJ asks Will to complete his bucket list on his behalf; Will dutifully forces himself to try new things (attending a rock concert, riding a roller coaster, attending a school dance, and playing drums at a talent show). Through this process, Will and RJ become close friends, which makes the idea of saying goodbye even more difficult. VERDICT A strong debut novel about grief, loss, and coming out of one's shell.--Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Turtle Boy is a marvelous coming-of-age story . . . about bravery and the redemptive power of friendship. A perfect summer read. —Kveller
Turtle Boy—both boy and book—is a winner. —Booklist, starred review"A story about what it means to be brave when all you want to do is hide in your shell. —Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale
A wholesome blend of humor and grief, Will's story will appeal to younger and older readers alike. A beautiful debut that wears its heart on its sleeve. —The Nerd DailyA strong debut novel about grief, loss, and coming out of one's shell. —School Library Journal
A satisfying arc, from sadness to dawning hope and strength. —Kirkus Reviews
A masterful mingling of deeply resonant themes, including self-esteem, loneliness, loss, and the rewards of improbable friendships. —Publishers Weekly
JUV013060 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Parents
JUV015020 - Juvenile Fiction | Health & Daily Living | Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries
United States
Schools
Jews
Friendship in adolescence
Middle schools
Terminally ill
Abnormalities
Bar mitzvah
Face
