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Book Review

Publisher's Note:

An inspiring and timely story of friendship, courage, and the magic that can happen when we stand up for what's right. Normally, Olivia spends all year looking forward to her family's summer vacation in Florida. But not this year. Not when her parents have recently separated, and her father has to stay behind in Colorado. Olivia doesn't know what she'll do all summer without him. They've always been a pair, and she's never felt the same bond with her mother or younger sister. So Olivia plans to spend the summer laying low, and trying to ignore the hurt gnawing at her heart. But when she learns that the local sea turtle population is in serious risk of dying off because of her neighbor's poorly designed house, she knows she has to do something. She can't just watch the beautiful creatures suffer. Yet her chances of helping the turtles are slim, and she can't handle any more heartbreak. Will Olivia turn her back on her favorite animal to avoid the pain? Or will she find the courage to stand up for the turtles, and maybe heal herself in the process?…

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Out of my Shell

by Jenny Goebel

Reviewer: Sally
Genre: Fiction
Recommended Age: 9+

Overall Book Review:

Just like the loggerhead turtles 13 Olivia is trying to help, she herself is has a lot to deal with in this coming of age story, Out of my Shell. Author Jenny Goebel has two parallel stories going in this novel. The first is that of a loggerhead turtle trying to battle light pollution to come ashore and lay her eggs. Olivia is trying her best to help this poor turtle night after night, but she insists on doing it on her own and is not as successful as she would like to be. Along with this storyline, each chapter has an amazing fact about loggerheads at the beginning of it. Then Olivia is trying to help the hatchlings all her own.

Olivia’s mission to help the turtles parallels her struggle with her parents’ divorce. Brought to the beach that they always vacationed at as a family, Olivia is having a hard time coming to grips with the changes her family is facing, just like the turtle had a hard time with the changes humans were making. And once again Olivia insists on trying to figure it out on her own. It’s only when disaster strikes that Olivia realizes she can’t do it all her own–not help the turtles or hold her family together.

Goebel has a way of writing that brings to life the voice of a 13-year-old girl struggling with change and life in general. This coming of age story allows the reader to see the growth, acceptance and maturity that comes to Olivia throughout the story. Because of this, Out of My Shell is a heartwarming book that gives a glimpse to not only the plight of loggerhead turtles but to a young teenage girl just trying to figure out life. This novel would certainly be an excellent one for pre-teen and young teenage girls facing similar circumstances.

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Scholastic Press (A Scholastic Imprint)


Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  None 

Sex/Nudity:  Girl and boy hold hands (3 times); girl and boy hug.

Mature Subject Matter:

Divorce.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
0
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
0
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
1
10

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About the Reviewer

Sally
I remember as a young girl sneaking out of my bedroom to read by the hall light my parents left on, just so I could finish an exciting book. I’ve always loved books and reading is somewhat of a passion for me–something I’m passing on to my kids. I have four children and I have a hard time making them turn out the light when they say, “But I just got to the good part”.

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