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Helping Animals & Changing Habitats
Turtle Summer: A Journal for my Daughter
This heart-warming journal shares the joys of a mother and daughter’s special bond and their summer together as Turtle Team volunteers. Photographs blend with art and prose to bring to life this loving story of their time together protecting endangered loggerhead sea turtles. Join mother and daughter as they patrol the beaches searching for sea turtle nests, and then stand with them under starry skies as they protect the eggs and young hatchlings. Turtle Summer is the journal described in Swimming Lessons, the sequel to Mary Alice Monroe’s New York Times bestselling novel, The Beach House. 2007 ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award IRA-CBC Children’s Choices Selection for 2008, Science Books & Films 2008 Excellent Science Book Prize finalist, Shortlist finalist for The Green Earth Book Award and on recommended reading list, Bank Street 2008 “Best Children’s Books of the Year” selection, Kiawah Resort’s KIAWAH READS summer selection, 2008 Florida Recommended Summer Reading List, 2009 Everglades Reading List, 2009 South Carolina Reads Suggested Reading List Reviewed The American Biology Teacher, School Library Journal, NSTA Recommends, The Midwest Book Review, Science Books and Films, Georgia Library Quarterly, Baker & Taylor The Cat’s Meow, The Horn Book Guide 4-6 pg For Creative Minds educational section in the back 40-60 pg cross-curricular Teaching Activities and 3 Interactive Quizzes available free on the book’s homepage eBooks with Auto-Flip, Auto-Read and selectable English and Spanish text and audio
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2007
31 people are currently reading
709 people want to read
About the author
Mary Alice Monroe
71 books5,670 followersMary Alice Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 30 books, including her new novel, Where the Rivers Merge, the first book in a duology and her historical debut. The second book is titled The Rivers End. Release date has not been set yet.
Monroe has also published children’s books, which complement the environmental themes she is known for in her adult novels. Monroe’s middle grade series, written with Angela May, The Islanders, debuted #2 on the New York Times Best Sellers List in 2021. The second book in the series, Search for Treasure, debuted #3 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. And the third book in the series, Shipwrecked, is available everywhere books are sold.
Nearly eight million copies of her books have been published worldwide.
Mary Alice has earned numerous accolades and awards including induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame; South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Award for Children’s Fiction; and her novel A Lowcountry Christmas won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction.
Mary Alice is also the co-founder of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie McDowell. Several of her novels are optioned for film.
Mary Alice has championed the fragility of the earth’s wild habitat. The coastal southern landscape in particular is a strong and important focus of many of her novels. For her writing, Monroe immerses herself in academic research, works with wildlife experts, and does hands-on volunteering with animals. She then uses the knowledge and experiences to craft captivating stories that identify important parallels between nature and human nature. Sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, monarch butterflies, shorebirds are among the species she has worked with and woven into her novels.
Mary Alice is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards including the South Carolina Aquarium board emeritus, the Pat Conroy Literary Center Honorary Board, and the Leatherback Trust, which she received the Leatherback Trust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. She is especially proud to be a state-certified volunteer with the Island Turtle Team for more than twenty years.
Mary Alice splits her time between her home on the South Carolina coast and her home in the North Carolina mountains. When she’s not writing a novel, she is with her family or busy working with wildlife somewhere in the world.
Monroe has also published children’s books, which complement the environmental themes she is known for in her adult novels. Monroe’s middle grade series, written with Angela May, The Islanders, debuted #2 on the New York Times Best Sellers List in 2021. The second book in the series, Search for Treasure, debuted #3 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. And the third book in the series, Shipwrecked, is available everywhere books are sold.
Nearly eight million copies of her books have been published worldwide.
Mary Alice has earned numerous accolades and awards including induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors’ Hall of Fame; South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Award for Children’s Fiction; and her novel A Lowcountry Christmas won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction.
Mary Alice is also the co-founder of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.
The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie McDowell. Several of her novels are optioned for film.
Mary Alice has championed the fragility of the earth’s wild habitat. The coastal southern landscape in particular is a strong and important focus of many of her novels. For her writing, Monroe immerses herself in academic research, works with wildlife experts, and does hands-on volunteering with animals. She then uses the knowledge and experiences to craft captivating stories that identify important parallels between nature and human nature. Sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, monarch butterflies, shorebirds are among the species she has worked with and woven into her novels.
Mary Alice is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards including the South Carolina Aquarium board emeritus, the Pat Conroy Literary Center Honorary Board, and the Leatherback Trust, which she received the Leatherback Trust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. She is especially proud to be a state-certified volunteer with the Island Turtle Team for more than twenty years.
Mary Alice splits her time between her home on the South Carolina coast and her home in the North Carolina mountains. When she’s not writing a novel, she is with her family or busy working with wildlife somewhere in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 7, 2016
This is the journal Toy wrote for Little Lovie (characters in The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe.)
Lovie said, "to not merely know nature, but also feel nature."
This is also a companion to Swimming Lessons by Mary Alice Monroe.
An excellent read with kids before heading to the beach and learn the magic of the turtles.
Interesting facts:
*In May, Loggerhead turtles return to the island to lay their eggs. In July, first nests begin to hatch.
In August, Turtle Teams do a nest inventory. 3 days after hatchlings emerge, they record the number of hatched and unhatched eggs.
*Turtle tracks look like tire tracks.
*Turtle eggs look like ping pong balls. After nests are laid, 55-65 days for eggs to hatch.
*When the hatchlings merge out from a nest in mass, it's a "boil" like a pot boiling over.
*If Turtle team has to move a nest, they use a large cockle shell to dig a new nest.
*After 30 years, the adult female turtle will return to the same area they hatched to lay their eggs. From 3 inches to over 3 feet, and up to 350lbs.
*On average, a loggerhead lays 4 nests a summer about 2 weeks apart. She lays between 80-150 eggs in each nest. She lays nests every 2-3 years.
*Tip: if you play in the sand, smooth it out before you leave. Turtles or hatchlings might have a hard time going around big holes and sand castles.
*Kiawah shells I get yearly are: whelk, cockle, clam, & I see molted horseshoe crab shells (huge)
Lovie said, "to not merely know nature, but also feel nature."
This is also a companion to Swimming Lessons by Mary Alice Monroe.
An excellent read with kids before heading to the beach and learn the magic of the turtles.
Interesting facts:
*In May, Loggerhead turtles return to the island to lay their eggs. In July, first nests begin to hatch.
In August, Turtle Teams do a nest inventory. 3 days after hatchlings emerge, they record the number of hatched and unhatched eggs.
*Turtle tracks look like tire tracks.
*Turtle eggs look like ping pong balls. After nests are laid, 55-65 days for eggs to hatch.
*When the hatchlings merge out from a nest in mass, it's a "boil" like a pot boiling over.
*If Turtle team has to move a nest, they use a large cockle shell to dig a new nest.
*After 30 years, the adult female turtle will return to the same area they hatched to lay their eggs. From 3 inches to over 3 feet, and up to 350lbs.
*On average, a loggerhead lays 4 nests a summer about 2 weeks apart. She lays between 80-150 eggs in each nest. She lays nests every 2-3 years.
*Tip: if you play in the sand, smooth it out before you leave. Turtles or hatchlings might have a hard time going around big holes and sand castles.
*Kiawah shells I get yearly are: whelk, cockle, clam, & I see molted horseshoe crab shells (huge)
May 27, 2012
A companion book to the author's earlier Swimming Lessons, this short book chronicles a season spent by a mother and her daughter at the beach. While the daughter picks up seashells for her mother, the author spends time observing and caring for sea turtles and their hatchlings. Clearly, both family members love the turtles, and the photographs show how large the mother turtles are and how small and helpless the little ones. The book is filled with astute observations about turtles as well as cautions about how lights from houses along the beach or even flashlights can disorient them when they are heading to see. It's amazing how such a little thing can make all the difference in the world, and it's inspiring to read about how one mother passes on her own passion for turtles to her daughter. While I might have liked to have had more text, young readers and their teachers will surely relish this fascinating book, primarily for those fantastic photographs.
August 3, 2018
Such a beautiful book. I bought this books for my grandson who adores turtles. He's still a little young (three years old) to understand everything in the book, but he loves looking at the photographs of the turtles and the eggs. He understands a little bit more each someone reads him the book.
February 2, 2020
Beautiful book chronicling the journey of nesting sea turtles, as well as identification of shells, flora, and fauna on the South Carolina coast...A companion to the author's novel, "Swimming Lessons."
January 27, 2023
Sehr schön geschrieben. Nicht besonders spannend aber dafür sehr entspannend. Während man liest ist man irgendwie direkt in Sea Breeze bei den 3 Mädchen es ist eine schöne Lektüre für zwischen durch !
August 9, 2017
This would be a wonderful book if one lives there where the loggerheads come in on the beach to lay their eggs to share the adventure with your child. I appreciated the pictures.
September 24, 2019
Enjoyed reading this one to my daughter.
June 16, 2021
Love this book
August 4, 2022
A cute book for anyone to read. Educational too!
June 14, 2019
Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
August 4, 2024
A short but very informative story about turtles. Make sure to get the book for the beautiful pictures!
December 15, 2014
This is an amazingly informative book about sea turtles. I loved the photography and explanations for each photograph. I learned a lot from this book and that it will be a great book for all ages. The excellent photography will help to keep the reader engaged while learning all about sea turtles.
Identification of other sea life and shells creates a multipurpose read or study for children to learn about the seacoast. The back of the book has a special section, "For Creative Minds," which helps the reader (and the adult to guide the child) in learning about the wonderful cycle of sea turtles and shell identification. This would be a wonderfully engaging book for families to read prior to a trip to the coast and to take with them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cItMm...
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Arbordale to facilitate this review. No compensation was received and opinions expressed are those of the reviewer.
Identification of other sea life and shells creates a multipurpose read or study for children to learn about the seacoast. The back of the book has a special section, "For Creative Minds," which helps the reader (and the adult to guide the child) in learning about the wonderful cycle of sea turtles and shell identification. This would be a wonderfully engaging book for families to read prior to a trip to the coast and to take with them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cItMm...
DISCLOSURE: A complimentary copy was provided by Arbordale to facilitate this review. No compensation was received and opinions expressed are those of the reviewer.
April 23, 2008
cute little addition to Swimming lessons.
Want to read
June 20, 2009Ages 4-8
March 12, 2015
Sweet story.
April 30, 2012
Love sea turtles!
June 30, 2013
This is not a novel. Just some pretty pictures and a few words about sea turtles.
Read
May 23, 2014Great connection
so sweet to see the connection between book and journal. I never tire of reading about the beautiful South Carolina Low Country!
so sweet to see the connection between book and journal. I never tire of reading about the beautiful South Carolina Low Country!
August 10, 2012
$9.99 for a waste of a book.
Read
January 31, 2018Review Pending...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews