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Quick answer: If you loved Turtle in Paradise, try Full of Beans, Our Only May Amelia, The Fourteenth Goldfish, Bud, Not Buddy, Moon Over Manifest and One Crazy Summer. Each one is a warm, funny historical story about a spunky kid, family and finding where you belong.
Jennifer L. Holm's 2010 Newbery Honor novel is set in 1935. Eleven-year-old Turtle, a tough girl who doesn't believe in happy endings, is sent to live with relatives she has never met in Key West, Florida, when her mother takes a housekeeping job. She meets a gang of cousins who run the Diaper Gang babysitting service and discovers treasure, family and a hurricane. Readers love its humor and heart. These books share its history and its kids.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full of Beans | Jennifer L. Holm | 9-12 | readers who want the companion |
| Our Only May Amelia | Jennifer L. Holm | 9-12 | readers who want more Holm |
| The Fourteenth Goldfish | Jennifer L. Holm | 8-12 | readers who like science and family |
| Bud, Not Buddy | Christopher Paul Curtis | 9-12 | readers who like Depression adventures |
| Moon Over Manifest | Clare Vanderpool | 10-13 | readers who like small towns and secrets |
| One Crazy Summer | Rita Williams-Garcia | 9-12 | readers who like sisters |
| Because of Winn-Dixie | Kate DiCamillo | 8-12 | readers who like Florida towns |
| Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse | 10-13 | readers who like the Depression |
| Esperanza Rising | Pam Muñoz Ryan | 9-12 | readers who like resilient girls |
| The Penderwicks | Jeanne Birdsall | 8-12 | readers who like family summers |
| Hattie Big Sky | Kirby Larson | 10-13 | readers who like independent girls |
| Fortunately, the Milk | Neil Gaiman | 7-10 | readers who like silly adventures |
| Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson | 10+ | readers who like treasure |
| The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 | Christopher Paul Curtis | 9-13 | readers who like funny families |
| Rules | Cynthia Lord | 8-12 | readers who like honest narrators |
1. Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
Turtle's cousin Beans in Depression-era Key West.
Best for: readers who want the companion.
2. Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
A girl grows up among seven brothers in 1899 Washington.
Best for: readers who want more Holm.
3. The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
A girl's grandfather turns young again.
Best for: readers who like science and family.
4. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
An orphan searches for his father.
Best for: readers who like Depression adventures.
5. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
A girl uncovers her father's past.
Best for: readers who like small towns and secrets.
6. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Sisters visit their mother in 1968 Oakland.
Best for: readers who like sisters.
7. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
A girl and her dog make friends.
Best for: readers who like Florida towns.
8. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
A girl in the Dust Bowl.
Best for: readers who like the Depression.
9. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
A wealthy girl becomes a farm worker.
Best for: readers who like resilient girls.
10. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
Four sisters spend a summer at an estate.
Best for: readers who like family summers.
11. Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
A girl homesteads in Montana.
Best for: readers who like independent girls.
12. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
A father's wild story about getting milk.
Best for: readers who like silly adventures.
13. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
A boy sails for buried treasure.
Best for: readers who like treasure.
14. The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
A family drives to Birmingham.
Best for: readers who like funny families.
15. Rules by Cynthia Lord
A girl with an autistic brother makes a friend.
Best for: readers who like honest narrators.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Turtle in Paradise: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Turtle in Paradise. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Read Full of Beans next for more of the same family. If you love Depression-era stories, Bud, Not Buddy and Moon Over Manifest are favorites. For spunky girls, One Crazy Summer and Hattie Big Sky are great choices. The Penderwicks offers more summer family fun.
Related: Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Turtle in Paradise about?
An eleven-year-old girl is sent to live with relatives in 1935 Key West.
Did it win awards?
Yes. It was a Newbery Honor book in 2011.
What age is it for?
It suits readers about 9 to 12.
What is the Diaper Gang?
Turtle's cousins' babysitting service.
Is it based on real people?
Holm drew on her own family history in Key West.
Is there a companion book?
Yes. Full of Beans.
What should I read next?
Full of Beans.