Wendsday Weeviews: Turtle Boy

 Time for a Wednesday Weeview!

Today's title is Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein. A middle-grade novel about a boy with big problems.

Middle school is full of misery for even the average kid. Awkward growth spurts, acne outbreaks, and the ever-widening gap between the sexes is not a graceful transition. Will wishes that would be all he has to deal with this year. But Will has bigger worries. Like a genetic condition affecting his lower jaw, an up-coming surgery to correct it, and a huge phobia of hospitals. Things aren't going well in the friendship department either. Just like his beloved turtles, Will is going to need to find away to come out of his shell if he is going to survive seventh grade.

This book made me cry. I'm a full-grown adult, and a novel for sixth graders made me cry. Of course I should also inform you that I cry at most kid movies, just talking about certain things makes me cry, and hearing a mere few bars of music from a movie that moves me will get the waterworks going. Nevertheless, I think I have excellent taste, so when a book makes me cry it is usually a keeper.

Wolkenstein did a fantastic job of getting us inside the head of a twelve-year-old boy. Will's character is moody, insecure, immature, with poor communication skills and all. The flaws are glaring, but his attributes shine too. He wants to be a good friend, he has a tender heart, a soft spot for animals. He is immensely relatable since several problems are self-made and looking on the bright side doesn't come easy to Will. 

The side characters also had enough layers to make them believable and important to Will's story. They had emotions and challenges of thier own which helped contribute to Will's own conflicts, but the kids behaved and reacted like kids, and the adults proved both helpful and a source of frustration as is typical for kids this age. Wolkenstein crafted these relationships with skill.

I experienced an emotional roller coaster following Will throughout his story. I felt empathy, irritation (at him and other characters as well), excitement, angst, heartbreak, frustration. The author wrote emotions so well through action and dialogue. Not telling us the character felt embarrassed, but showing us so expertly that I felt embarrassed too. I loved that about this book.

I didn't love how often the author used the word instinctively. Some variety would have been nice, as seeing it repeated multiple times pulled me out of the story instead of keep me engaged. My only other criticism would be that I would have appreciated more translation of the Hebrew terms and lines used in the story. I like that the story takes place in a setting with a large emphasis on Jewish culture and practices. It provided a window into a part of people's lives I have seen little of and gave me a better understanding of modern Jewish customs. Someone who is Jewish themselves and familiar with Hebrew terms wouldn't have any issue, but for many readers, being able to know what the phrases mean, and even some guidance on how to pronounce them would connect us to the story even more. 

This is a book I recommend every kid age 10-14 reads. Almost every kid can relate to Will on some level, and I think they will get a kick out of some of his misadventures. Especially kids who are deeply struggling to find their place and find their own strengths can really find a pal in Will. They can see similar challenges through his eyes and perhaps gain a few tools to help them navigate their own journey. 

Another group I would recommend this book to is authors aiming to write for this age group. There is so much we can learn from Wolkenstein with this title. His grasp of kids at the crossroads between childhood and young adulthood is exemplary. He doesn't force a moral or lessons on his reader or characters. He validates them as authentic preteens, growing pains and all. He masterfully allows the growth to emerge naturally and in spurts, after a whole lot of resistance, pouting, and selfishness. Just like in real life.

This title earns an easy 5 out of 5 stars, and is great for age 10 and above. There are some emotional scenes that might be harder for younger kids to understand, but there is nothing graphic or inappropriate.