Don?t Box Me in

In Indiana, in the woods near a pond, there lives an eastern box turtle. He's very happy in his home, but there's just one problem: people who visit the cottage nearby can't seem to leave him alone.

One day a large family comes to the pond, swimming and making a lot of noise. Then one of them picks him up. After they examine him, they put him in a big box and then drive away with him the next day. The family is taking him away to someplace called Ohio. They set up a wading pool in the backyard, but it's not the same as being free. Even worse, the people give him weird food. The poor turtle is uncomfortable; he wants to go home! Will he ever get back to his pond in Indiana?

Based on real events, this children's story tells the tale of an eastern box turtle carried away from his home and the journey that takes him back again.

K. T. Ptak is a retired schoolteacher who currently works as a nature camp counselor. She has loved reading and writing since childhood and has written a variety of texts over the years, including her mother's memoir, church parish histories, and newsletters for various organizations. A mother and grandmother, she currently lives in Rocky River, Ohio.