"Inspired by the author’s own life story this is a touching story of friendship – and turtles!"
August 2020 Debut of the Month
Will Levine has two passions in his life, the local wildlife reserve behind his school and the turtles he has found there. The rest of his life is a bit of a disaster in his eyes – he is given an unkind nickname at school, due to a facial difference, he has to cope with an upcoming Bar Mitzvah, and he has a community service he needs to fulfil for a boy who is confined to a hospital room. Then, to make matters worse, the county plans to sell off the nature reserve. Plus, there is a looming surgical procedure for Will – who hates having blood tests, never mind anything else.
How can he make these things work for him – how can he survive it all, when all he really wants to do is look after his turtles and hide away.
Slowly Will responds to the needs of RJ who is stuck in the hospital, and they build a strong and wildly adventurous friendship that takes Will away from his comfort zone and helps RJ experience things he would never have chance to do himself. As well as the obvious empathy the book elicits from its readers there is a wonderful amount of humour, and some passing knowledge gained about turtles too!
A wonderful story for all of life’s outsiders – offering hope and new perspectives.
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This book is great!
This book is great!
Apart from it being about turtles (which is EPIC in itself)
it has that rare mix of making you laugh, and then after a single paragraph you can be brimming up.
I think that if there was one improvement to make it would be to include a glossary for some of the Hebrew words.
I tried to think of another improvement, but I couldn't think of one.
Turtle Boy is an incredibly powerful and moving book.
... Read Full ReviewThis story is about two friends who meet in a hospital, and help each other. Read the book to find out what’s on RJ’s bucket list which Will helps complete and how RJ helps Will in return. It will remind you what true friendship looks like!
This book is about Will, who has a facial deformity and is reluctant to have surgery. Even though other children laugh at him and call him Turtle boy. His school and his mum make Will go to the hospital to visit RJ who has problems with his kidneys. Will hates going to the hospital because his Dad died during a surgery there. Life seems pretty bleak and it takes a while to get into the story. When Will finds out RJ has a bucket list of things he wants to do before he dies and Will is the only one who can help, the action and a friendship begins.... Read Full Review
Very emotional and very well-written book about a new friendship developing under tragic circumstances.
I enjoyed reading this story, though parts of it made me sad - and then other parts made me laugh which was great! I didn't like how the other children were mean to Will, but I liked that he found a friend in RJ. I would say this is a good book to read if you don't mind that it makes you cry, and you like reading about children becoming friends.... Read Full Review
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) of a friendship story that's perfect for fans of Wonder.
It's the year of Will Levine's bar mitzvah, and for his community service project, he's expected to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. Will can't think of anything worse, mainly because he will have to face his fear of hospitals. Life in the seventh grade isn't much easier. The kids are relentless--they bully Will because of his funny looking chin.
When Will and RJ first meet, they DO NOT get along. Then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster; go to a school dance; swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with the turtles he collects. But as RJ's disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on RJ'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.
"Everyone deserves a friend like Will Levine." --Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Turtle Boy and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Turtle Boy features in the following genres: Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Gritty Reads, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), PSHE: Health , Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Body and health, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Star Books, Wildlife, The Natural World, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Turtle Boy is available in Paperback, , Hardback
Turtle Boy was written by M. Evan Wolkenstein and published by Yearling an imprint of Random House Children's Books
Turtle Boy has 400 pages
