Hello Everyone!
Today I would like to talk about a book I recently read called Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein. This is a debut novel by the author, who grew up in Wisconsin.
This book is about a twelve-year-old Jewish boy named Will Levine, who lives in Wisconsin with his mother. His father passed away due to complications of surgery. Will doesn’t have many friends as he is a very shy person. His only friend is a girl named Shirah. He likes turtles. Will was born with a weird-looking chin that makes him look different than others. Kids at school make fun of him, and he is called “Turtle Boy” as he is slow and eats like a turtle. His mother and his doctor suggested he get chin surgery and get braces. Whereas, Will is scared that he will end up like his father. Will wants to know more about his father as his mother doesn’t talk about him much. Soon it’s Bar Mitzvah time, when girls and boys twelve going onto thirteen have a ceremony where they sing Torah portions, have a party, have speeches, and more. Before a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, you need to complete community service or volunteer for a good cause. Since he likes turtles, he decides to collect endangered turtles for his project, but his teacher makes him give them away. Will doesn’t do well with hospitals, but Rabai Harris decides to set him up with a sick teen boy named RJ. RJ is in the hospital and may not live a long life. They are very different but soon become friends. Will visits RJ after school and helps RJ to fulfill his wish from the bucket list. And with the help of RJ, Will comes out of his shell and becomes a confident person who learns to stand up for himself during tough times. RJ can’t do many things as his illness progresses, but Will helps with whatever RJ wished to do before he got sick, Will does things for RJ like going to a concert and getting drumsticks, setting up a date, going swimming, getting a pet, and more. Soon RJ gets even sicker. What will happen to Will? Will his Bar Mitzvah project become a success? Will he be able to find more about his dad and face his fear of surgery? Read this book to find out.
This book covers important themes of friendship, courage, coming to terms with grief, hope, and bullying.
This book reminds me of Starfish and Wonder. I really enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this book ages 10 and above. Please get your copy from your nearby library.