TURTLE IN PARADISE

TURTLE IN PARADISE, by Jennifer L. Holm (Random House 2010)(ages 8-12). It's 1935, and eleven-year-old Turtle has been shipped off to live with her aunt, uncle, and a boatload of cousins in Key West, Florida, where, to her, everything is strange. How will she adjust to life as a Conch? Will the boys ever let her into the Diaper Gang? And will her mother ever come back for her?

Drawing on family history, Holm provides a fun and fascinating look at a young girl trying to learn the ins and outs of a strange, new world. Evocative of a bygone era, and with just a touch of The Little Rascals, TURTLE IN PARADISE is an enjoyable and sometimes bittersweet read.

PENNY FROM HEAVEN

PENNY FROM HEAVEN, by Jennifer L. Holm (Random House 2006)(on sale 25 July 2006)(Ages 10+)

In this rich period piece set in the summer of 1953, eleven year old Penny is beset by family (in the form of a her mother, a former nurse; live-in grandparents; her cousin and best friend Frankie and his slightly illicit schemes; and a whole bunch of Italian uncles); one or two secrets; Dem Bums, her beloved Brooklyn Dodgers; and an aged dachshund.

PENNY FROM HEAVEN is a lovely and heartwarming story based on the author's family history that captures both the sense of America of 1953 and what it means to be the child of recent immigrants.