Turtle Boy

Turtle Boy is the heartwarming story of a young boy's journey out of his shell, which will appeal to fans of Wonder. Will is an anxious boy who prefers the company of turtles to people his own age. He freezes up in conversations, avoids anything that makes him feel nervous, and is relentlessly bullied about his appearance. When Will begins visiting terminally-ill RJ in hospital, on the insistence of his Rabbi, he is slowly drawn out of his comfort-zone and begins to connect with others. 

I was not prepared for how wonderful Turtle Boy would be, and was utterly absorbed by this touching story which I think will be very popular in schools.

Turtle Boy celebrates being yourself and learning not to shut the world out. Over the course of the novel, Will begins to make friends and let others in. His friendship with RJ forces him to have new experiences, even if they scare him, and I think lots of readers will find Will's character growth inspirational. He was also a vividly real character, with an anxiety-riddled internal-monologue that lots of readers will relate to, especially the way he freezes mid-conversation and can't think what to say next, and his arguments with his mum. 

Turtle Boy is also an emotional story, and brought me to tears in multiple chapters. Wolkenstein handles difficult subject matters, such as grief and terminal illness body dysmorphia, with great sensitivity. 

I was, however, a little confused during the first few chapters, until I remembered that in America everything is a turtle - there's no terrapin/tortoise distinction! I can see why Usborne haven't changed this for the UK edition (terrapin boy doesn't have quite the same ring!) But I think it might confuse some young readers initially.