A Place for Turtles

Awesome book for both personal and classroom use. So glad I bought it for second grade science!

A Place for Turtles was so cool. But it was also sad. I like all the facts in the book and the maps. But it tells about pollution hurting turtles and about how some people are harming turtles. That's really sad. The book tells you stuff about how to help turtles so that was excellent.I didn't know this but one of the ways you can help the turtles is by not buying one at a pet store. You shouldn't have turtles for a pet because they are wild animals and they should live in their natural habitats. If someone gives you a turtle, though, do not release it into the wild because it could make other turtles sick.The book has cool pictures and lots of facts. "Terrific Turtle Tidbits" is the last page with some interesting information like a turtle's shell is made up of 60 different bones!In the front and back of the book, there are maps that show ranges of different types of turtles (where they live). And I learned a new kind of turtle--not a turtle or a tortoise but a terrapin. It was pretty cool to learn about that. I like all the turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.I think the information is for older kids and because it was such a sad book, older kids would be able to handle it. I think this book is for ages 8-12. Boys and girls would both like all the information and the ways they can help the turtles live and grow and be safe.Turtles have lived on earth for more than 220 million years! That is amazing. The end of the book says "There are many ways you can help these special creatures live far into the future." I think that's an awesome sentence. I hope we can do that. I really do.Review by Connor C., age 7, Boston Mensa

What can we do to ensure there will always be a place for turtles on this planet? It is up to humans to protect the turtles existence.There are turtles that live in the ocean, in lakes and ponds, then there are those that live in the desert and farmlands. No matter where they live they are always in danger at the hand of humans, whether it is from plastic bags, vegetation planted by humans taking over their nesting grounds or humans making the mistake of taking them out of their habit as pets exposing them to diseases if released back into nature. It is our responsibility to make sure they have a place so they can live and grow.The author definitely did her research on the turtle. When she had all the right material she needed she wrote this book in a way that our children will be encouraged to help the turtle and its habitat so they can live and grow. The illustrations are spot on with the author's writings giving a visual look of the different kinds of turtles and their habitats.I have read some of the author's other books in the A Place For Series with the same enthusiasm as this final book of this series. The series will make a great addition any child's collection of books. Just image them spouting off all the facts they have learned to their friends and family.I highly recommend this book to children ages 6-10, parents, grandparents, educators, librarians and caregivers.Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publisher for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. This is my honest opinion.

(Received from publisher for an honest review.)A Place for Turtles is a fascinating look at the roles humans have played in the survival of many turtle species. Each spread explains one problem, a turtle species directly affected by the human carelessness, and ways to correct the situation. The Loggerhead Turtle is a sea turtle. At one time fishing nets caught many of these turtles along with the shrimp. The turtles could not escape and would die. In 1988, Congress passed a law requiring all fishing nets have a turtle excluder device, a trap door the turtles can use to escape, but shrimp cannot.I love this book. The information is fascinating (which I might have already mentioned). The author uses a different turtle's plight for each problem she explains. This gives a small glimpse into the lives of nine turtles and one tortoise. Some problems I had been aware of, but the growth of Las Vegas, for example, having a dire effect on the Desert Tortoise was new information.I think kids will find much of this new and enlightening. A Place for Turtles is a primer on turtles. Kids can use the information on school reports or simply to gain an understanding of this reptile. The turtle shell contains 60 bones according to one of the Terrific Turtle Tidbits in the back of the book. A bibliography and a couple of websites can direct you to the resources Ms. Stewart referred to for accuracy.The illustrations are tremendous. The details and accuracy make for outstanding reproductions. Ms. Bond's realistic acrylic on cold pressed illustration board fooled my eyes into thinking it was three-dimensional. The vivid turtles and their surroundings are amazing to look at. The illustrations alone make A Place for Turtles worth the purchase price--not to discount the hard word and incredible amount of vetted information Ms. Stewart wrote.I think boys will especially appreciate A Place for Turtles, though I would not discount girls. Girls wrote this gem after all. I like the inside cover, back and front, which have the location of each species along with a picture of the turtle. The publisher could have eliminated these color maps. That Peachtree did not shows the value they place on their picture books as a whole.