Tortoise Soup

by Nick Holland

This magical tale of the love of a girl and her tortoise will warm hearts of all ages! Ruby Tinker lives in St. Therese's Orphanage with her only friend in the world - her pet tortoise Byron! When Uncle Peter takes Ruby to live with him our heartbroken heroine is forced to leave Byron behind in the care of orphanage manager Miss Scratchback. Unfortunately Scratchback wants to use Byron as an ingredient in a spell that will turn children into zombie slaves! Can Ruby and Byron find their way back to each other against all odds, or will Byron end up in a tortoise soup?Plus bonus Christmas Byron And The Mince Pie Spy. When a secret organisation plans to kidnap the real Santa from the Auchtinoo Father Christmas Competition only Ruby and Byron stand in their way. Can they save Santa, and save Christmas?

234 pages, Paperback

First published February 23, 2013

About the author

Nick Holland was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and went to University in Huddersfield and, later, San Diego.
Whilst living in the USA he developed a love of the books of Raymond Chandler and after returning to England decided to write a hard boiled thriller of his own, but set in Yorkshire. Thus 'The Girl On The Bus' was born. The Girl On The Bus has become a Kindle sensation, at point being the 5th most downloaded book in the United Kingdom and regularly featuring in the Amazon top 100 paid bestsellers!
A follow up to The Girl On The Bus will be released in Summer 2013.
Nick loves tortoises and was shocked to find only one children's novel about them: 'Esio Trot' by Roald Dahl. Taking matters into his own hands he wrote 'Tortoise Soup', a delightful story of friendship and bravery aimed at children aged 8-108. So now there are two quality children's books about tortoises.
Nick Holland has also written award winning poetry and his play 'Rudisha' was performed in London in 2012 to coincide with the Olympic games.
He is a also a ventriloquist, can you guess what his puppet is? That's right - it's a tortoise!

Reviews

[Sharon Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming little story, suitable for children of all ages. Absolutely loved Byron the tortoise and Ruby was such a courageous little girl, it was difficult not to feel affection for her. Throw a classic villain into the plot and you have a perfect story! Highly recommended. Cannot wait to read more by this author.

[Fiona Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby Tinker is an orphan at St. Therese’s Children’s home in England. She has lived there since a terrible car accident that robbed her of her parents and the full use of her legs. But Ruby is not quite alone in the world. She has a beloved companion, tortoise extraordinaire (to say the least) Byron Tinker. No ordinary reptile, Byron can read (albeit slowly), run fast (for a tortoise), he can climb, make up poems, and he loves Ruby with all his heart and soul. Although neither Ruby nor Byron can imagine life without the other, dark and dreadful plans are afoot courtesy of the grim-faced, cold-hearted Miss Scratbakk, owner of the children’s home. Her plans for creating untold wealth depend upon Byron Tinker’s demise. However, a malevolent Fate seems to be assisting her ghastly plot when Ruby’s Uncle Peter informs her he is giving up his career as a globe-trotting diplomat and will be settling in Scotland, and creating a home for his niece. One thing is certain: Uncle Peter will not have pets in the house and Byron is not coming with. To Ruby’s horror, Uncle Peter’s driver collects her for the long drive to Scotland, and Byron is left behind. Before Miss Scratbakk can plonk Byron in a pot of soup (as was her plan), Bryon manages to escape. Will Byron survive the numerous adventures and dangers that face him? Will Miss Scratbakk succeed in her evil plans for the children at the home? Will Byron and Ruby be reunited?

Byron’s escapades are numerous, but this intrepid tortoise takes it all in his stride. His enduring love for Ruby keeps him plodding onward. He meets some kind creatures (the snakes in the pet shop and the wild crane), some helpful people (Miss Tigerlily and the bin men), and even comes close to the Rainbow Bridge, where all animals wait for their owners to cross over with them. But it’s not time for Byron to cross over; he still has lots of life and fun ahead of him with Ruby. This book is about love, friendship, hope, faith, sharing and caring, and belief in a better tomorrow. Kids will quickly absorb these important life lessons, couched as they are in this enchanting story of bravery and adventure. Author Nick Holland (no doubt with Bryon’s valuable input) has created a tale where the wicked are hilariously evil; the various characters have a quirky charm; the animals stand tall, and there is such a brightness that overcomes any doom or gloom as all loose ends are neatly tied up. There is poetry, songs, and many delightful details to put smiles on the faces of readers of all ages. You also learn quite a lot about tortoises, how to care for them, and what they like to eat. PS: They don’t like corned beef-and-mustard sandwiches.