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The Fairies of Turtle Creek
Thirteen-year-old Claire has deep concerns about her brother, who is away fighting in the Iraq war. When her quirky and estranged grandmother comes to live with her distressed family, Claire is cynical. It's through Grandma Faye's stories of being a thirteen year old in Dallas, Texas in the 1920s that opens Claire's heart to love and belief in other things you can only see with your heart. Magical realism for readers age 9 and up.
- GenresChildrens
322 pages, Paperback
Published January 28, 2013
6 people are currently reading
498 people want to read
About the author
Jill K. Sayre
4 books117 followersBorn and raised in Southern California, where flowers bloom year-round, Jill K. Sayre loves plants and gardening. She grew up in a small town just outside Los Angeles, surrounded by beautiful Arts & Crafts homes, with her antique-collecting parents. While attending UCLA, Jill modeled and received her degree in Art. She continued to receive her Teaching Credential in Elementary Education, specializing in gifted learners.
Her husband’s work moved them, and their three children, to Dallas... twice. She fell in love with the beauty found in Highland Park, Texas, where she resides today. Her first book, "The Fairies of Turtle Creek", is woven with the things she loves, like nature, science, art, folklore, and the early 1900s. Jill illustrated the beginning of every chapter, and much of the story takes place along Turtle Creek, where she often walks her vizsla dog, Bella.
Her latest book, "On Wings of Stone and Light", is a Young Adult fantasy about a gargoyle who comes to life and must protect the town from the other gargoyles who are more evil than he. This book is told in two POVs, one being Ryon, the kind-hearted monster who must hide in the shadows, and Madeleine, the girl who sees angels and captured Ryon's heart.
Jill currently works as an educator. She loves to help other writers and speaks on “Want to Write a Book? Let’s Get Started!,” and assists parents by sharing her educational strategies when she talks about “How to Help Your Child Become a Better Reader.” She is active in her local chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), and is a former co-chair of the Highland Park Literary Festival (www.hplitfest.com).
To learn more about Jill and her books, go to www.jillksayre.com.
Her husband’s work moved them, and their three children, to Dallas... twice. She fell in love with the beauty found in Highland Park, Texas, where she resides today. Her first book, "The Fairies of Turtle Creek", is woven with the things she loves, like nature, science, art, folklore, and the early 1900s. Jill illustrated the beginning of every chapter, and much of the story takes place along Turtle Creek, where she often walks her vizsla dog, Bella.
Her latest book, "On Wings of Stone and Light", is a Young Adult fantasy about a gargoyle who comes to life and must protect the town from the other gargoyles who are more evil than he. This book is told in two POVs, one being Ryon, the kind-hearted monster who must hide in the shadows, and Madeleine, the girl who sees angels and captured Ryon's heart.
Jill currently works as an educator. She loves to help other writers and speaks on “Want to Write a Book? Let’s Get Started!,” and assists parents by sharing her educational strategies when she talks about “How to Help Your Child Become a Better Reader.” She is active in her local chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), and is a former co-chair of the Highland Park Literary Festival (www.hplitfest.com).
To learn more about Jill and her books, go to www.jillksayre.com.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 26, 2013
First disclosure. I met Jill Sayre at the DFW Writer's Conference in 2012. She asked for advice on self-publishing and I shared my experiences and contacts without reading any of her manuscript. When I got this book I expected it to be good, but I got more than I bargained for. Second ratings. I wish Goodreads offered something other than a 5 star system. Very few books are perfect, but in my mind if a book inspires you to share it with others and there are no significant flaws, it rates a 5.
This story is set in the Turtle Creek neighborhood of Highland Park, Texas and it's described to perfection by the author. If you've ever lived in this part of the country and moved away, you may find yourself missing the bluebonnets and blue skies of a Texas spring. To heighten the sensory experience, Sayre even offers a couple of recipes in the back of the book to share a taste of the Lone Star State.
The main character, Claire, is a natural blend of scholarly competence and social insecurity. You quickly get a sense that she has an untapped curiosity about the mystical facets of life, that's just waiting to be awakened. In spite of Claire's practical nature, the arrival of her chimerical grandmother opens the door to another world, the world of fairies. I think we all believe in fairies when we're little and secretly we want them to exist in our adult world, but making the leap into believing so hard that you can actually see them is next to impossible. To make things even more complicated, Grandma Faye is certain that her time on Earth is slipping away.
Running parallel to the growing bond between Claire and her failing grandmother is a part of the story that touched me deeply. Clair's brother is fighting in Afghanistan, and tragedy has already struck some of his hometown comrades. The weight of worry is always with Claire and her family, and young readers with a parent or sibling in the armed services will be able to relate to these feelings. Another element that resonated with me is the discovery of first love. While imagining the romance of her grandparents meeting and falling in love, Claire wonders if the friendly deliver boy might actually be interested in getting to know her a little better.
The team at Wisdom House worked their magic and produced an artful book, complete with a beautiful map of Highland Park and special pages that recreate Grandma Faye's letters and dairies. Enjoyable at any age, I highly recommend this book to young readers who will almost certainly learn a new vocabulary word or educational concept, but they probably won't notice because they'll be so intent on finding the wee ones hidden in the crooks and hollows of Turtle Creek.
This story is set in the Turtle Creek neighborhood of Highland Park, Texas and it's described to perfection by the author. If you've ever lived in this part of the country and moved away, you may find yourself missing the bluebonnets and blue skies of a Texas spring. To heighten the sensory experience, Sayre even offers a couple of recipes in the back of the book to share a taste of the Lone Star State.
The main character, Claire, is a natural blend of scholarly competence and social insecurity. You quickly get a sense that she has an untapped curiosity about the mystical facets of life, that's just waiting to be awakened. In spite of Claire's practical nature, the arrival of her chimerical grandmother opens the door to another world, the world of fairies. I think we all believe in fairies when we're little and secretly we want them to exist in our adult world, but making the leap into believing so hard that you can actually see them is next to impossible. To make things even more complicated, Grandma Faye is certain that her time on Earth is slipping away.
Running parallel to the growing bond between Claire and her failing grandmother is a part of the story that touched me deeply. Clair's brother is fighting in Afghanistan, and tragedy has already struck some of his hometown comrades. The weight of worry is always with Claire and her family, and young readers with a parent or sibling in the armed services will be able to relate to these feelings. Another element that resonated with me is the discovery of first love. While imagining the romance of her grandparents meeting and falling in love, Claire wonders if the friendly deliver boy might actually be interested in getting to know her a little better.
The team at Wisdom House worked their magic and produced an artful book, complete with a beautiful map of Highland Park and special pages that recreate Grandma Faye's letters and dairies. Enjoyable at any age, I highly recommend this book to young readers who will almost certainly learn a new vocabulary word or educational concept, but they probably won't notice because they'll be so intent on finding the wee ones hidden in the crooks and hollows of Turtle Creek.
April 19, 2021
This book was an unexpected gem to read. It's not your run-of-the-mill coming of age story, instead offering deeper themes that will tug at your heartstrings. I really enjoyed the reverse take on childhood, where the grandmother is more childlike than her granddaughter. This is a book I think I would have enjoyed having read to me at a young age, and I'd recommend it to any parent or teacher who might want to enrich children's lives by teaching them to make better familial connections with their grandparents while they can.
May 23, 2022
faerie fay
I love faeries, little folk, pixies and magic. This story reminded me of my own Grandma Mac, wherever she may be…and of my own grandson & granddaughter, may you believe.
I love faeries, little folk, pixies and magic. This story reminded me of my own Grandma Mac, wherever she may be…and of my own grandson & granddaughter, may you believe.
June 1, 2024
Beautifully written, and navigates difficult topics and concepts while telling an entertaining story of magic and fantasy.
March 11, 2022
This book is something that I have held dear to me since my childhood. I felt such a strong connection to Turtle Creek after reading this. Turtle Creek is the area where my mom grew up, and even though I've never been there myself, I can feel a small connection made with her because of this story. It's a young story, and probably not the best written, but it's very enjoyable and I am glad I have this little treasure in my life
August 17, 2014
I found this story to be beautiful and a very pleasant listen. A young girl is visited by a grandmother who she hardly knows. Only having few and strange memories of visiting her. Before her grandmother arrives Claire begins to notice small incidents and she is not exactly ecstatic to have to spend time with her weird relative.
As she begins to spend time with her grandmother and learn more about who she is and her belief in fairies, the magical world begins to slowly show itself to Claire and brings her closer to her grandmother than she ever thought she could be.
It is a very cute story about a girl and her grandmother finding a connection to each other. The blossoming of a young girl's mind as the opens up to different ideas and worlds.
I really enjoyed the story, watching Claire become more aware of the magical world around her and find a connection to her grandmother was endearing. I recommend it to young and old, looking for a cute fairy-tale. The narrator Sarah Chevalier does a great job of giving a voice to Claire and has a very soothing and beautiful voice.
As she begins to spend time with her grandmother and learn more about who she is and her belief in fairies, the magical world begins to slowly show itself to Claire and brings her closer to her grandmother than she ever thought she could be.
It is a very cute story about a girl and her grandmother finding a connection to each other. The blossoming of a young girl's mind as the opens up to different ideas and worlds.
I really enjoyed the story, watching Claire become more aware of the magical world around her and find a connection to her grandmother was endearing. I recommend it to young and old, looking for a cute fairy-tale. The narrator Sarah Chevalier does a great job of giving a voice to Claire and has a very soothing and beautiful voice.
February 4, 2015
I just finished reading this lovely book! It’s a wonderful story and very different from what I would normally read, but I enjoyed it thoroughly! It gave me an opportunity to see the world through not only female eyes, but a teen-aged girl’s eyes and heart, and the special relationship and impact that separated generations can share.
I loved how the author made the 13 year-old lead character, Claire, so strong, rational, and focused, but also allowed her to open herself up to intuition and wonder. It’s a great message for young girls today, that they can be both intelligent and love learning and science, but also can be expressive and open to their and other’s feelings.
This story re-awoke my own memories - as I'm sure it may similarly do for many readers - of a summer I spent with my grandparents when I was 11, especially with my grandfather, and how special he made me feel. Your book brought back memories of the stories he shared with me about my family and his life - and life in general.
Thank you to the author for creating and sharing this story with the world.
I loved how the author made the 13 year-old lead character, Claire, so strong, rational, and focused, but also allowed her to open herself up to intuition and wonder. It’s a great message for young girls today, that they can be both intelligent and love learning and science, but also can be expressive and open to their and other’s feelings.
This story re-awoke my own memories - as I'm sure it may similarly do for many readers - of a summer I spent with my grandparents when I was 11, especially with my grandfather, and how special he made me feel. Your book brought back memories of the stories he shared with me about my family and his life - and life in general.
Thank you to the author for creating and sharing this story with the world.
April 27, 2015
The Fairies of Turtle Creek is a fun book filled with magic and heartfelt relationships. The characters were real and I could relate to Claire struggling with her conflict between science and magic - as well as having to deal with her grandmother's visit and her brother fighting a war. Are fairies real? Claire needs more proof than what her old grandmother offers until small miracles happen. We're all blessed with miracles every day but don't always see them. I enjoyed seeing the world through Claire's eyes. And will even now catch myself looking under a leaf or petal to see if I can find some magic!!
October 10, 2014
Absolutely charming. An independent-minded young girl goes against age-old assumptions and decides to have faith in her grandmother's crazy notions (the entire family thinks the grandmother is off-kilter.) In the process, not only does she fall in love with her grandmother, she begins to have a larger faith in her own heart and mind. Young teens who are not ready to grow up, but are already feeling the pressures to do so will LOVE this story.
February 1, 2014
The Fairies of Turtle Creek is magical realism at its best. Delightfully written with an enthralling storyline that captivates and encourages reflection along the way. Jill K Sayre has a real talent for bringing her characters to life, each one vibrant and immediately endearing. I will certainly be recommending to friends with similar reading tastes as my own.
April 14, 2016
A sweet little tale of an estranged, eccentric grandmother reconnecting with her young scientifically minded granddaughter to show here the magic of the world around her through her life story. Love the weaving of logic with the spiritual realm and the idea that fairies are earthly Angels. A beautiful feel good story.
March 10, 2018
A beautifully written book about the belief of fairies and whether or not one young girl will believe her dying grandmother or not. It's a must-read for granddaughters, grandmothers and fairy believers everywhere!
February 9, 2014
Wonderfully imaginative, real escapism within the pages of a book. A new twist on Fairies with an enthralling plot that I found totally absorbing and superbly written. What more can I say except excellent.
February 14, 2014
Beautifully written and wonderfully descriptive, Jill Sayre really has captured the essence of magic we associate with fairies. One of those books that simply draws you into another time and place and leaves you wanting more. Keen to see what she releases next.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews