Taking Turns with Turtles: A Rescue Story

Turtles have been tending the ocean for millions of years. Now it’s my turn to tend to the turtles.

One chilly morning in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a child and their parents wake up early to search the beach for cold-stunned turtles. When they find one, they keep it warm and safe until another rescuer can bring it to a rehabilitation center. There, a volunteer cleans the turtle before it goes to a biologist who glues its cracked shell back together. The turtle then moves to a tank room to recover. Finally, a volunteer pilot flies the turtle south to a warmer beach. At last, a parent and child place the turtle in the ocean and watch it swim away as a crowd of cheering volunteers look on.

Sea turtles have been an important part of ocean and shoreline ecosystems for millions of years. But the changing climate is shifting migration cues, trapping some turtles in frigid waters in late autumn and early winter. Luckily, many volunteers are working together with scientists to help them. In this story, follow a months-long journey and many human helpers working together to rescue a cold-stunned turtle.

Includes back matter with more information about cold-stunned turtles.

Key Text Features

dialogue

illustrations

author’s note

informational note

facts

further information

maps

further reading

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.3

Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.5

Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.8

Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

SHARI BECKER has been writing and creating content for children and teens for over twenty-five years. Shari’s books include Sprouting Wings, which she co-authored with Louisa Jaggar, illustrated by Floyd Cooper, The Stellow Project and Maxwell’s Mountain. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild Selections as well as Bank Street Best Books. Shari is the founder of Whale Rock Literary Workshops, a master-level writing education company for kidlit authors. Shari lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her family.

BRITTANY LANE is an illustrator and fine artist based in a small town in rural Ontario. She worked for a decade as a wildlife biologist before turning to illustration as a way to highlight and share the wonders of the natural world. Her debut picture book, Rock? Plant? Animal? How Nature Keeps Us Guessing, written by Etta Kaner, won the Silver Birch Express Award. The Day Dancer Flew, by Tiffany Stone, was named a CCBC Best Book for Kids and Teens, and an Ontario Library Association Best Bet.