共 西嶼的生活很不同。那裡屋舍破舊，卻傳說藏有神祕的寶藏；那裡生活拮据，人們臉上卻掛著笑容；最重要的是，那裡的孩子雖然壞，卻壞的可愛透了。
本書以美國經濟大蕭條為時代背景，描述堅強樂觀的十一歲小女孩小龜，如何在艱困的環境下，和她的表兄弟一同度過充滿樂趣的童年時光。本書故事融合了作者家族回憶和真實歷史故事，讀來幽默有趣且具有獨特的西嶼風情，引領讀者用小龜正向樂觀的態度面對困境，帶領讀者體會童年時光的美好。
Life isn't like the movies and 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mother gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye and heads off to Florida to live with relatives. Florida's like nothing Turtle's ever seen before though. It's full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets to unravel . . . and even a little bit of fun. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of her shell and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Inspired by family stories, three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm blends family lore with America's past, in this charming, gem of a novel rich in history, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West.
★本書中譯版《小龜的天堂》由小魯文化出版。
作者簡介
珍妮佛．霍姆 Jennifer L．Holm
霍姆是美國兒童文學作家，第一本小說《納梭河上的女孩》一出版就獲得美國紐伯瑞文學獎優勝。此外，她並以《幸運小銅板》和本書《小龜的天堂》陸續獲得紐伯瑞文學獎的優勝殊榮。她並和有設計背景的哥哥麥修霍姆共同創作Babymouse《鼠寶貝》（暫譯）的系列繪本，獲得美國圖書館協會優良童書等大獎，作品深受讀者喜愛。
珍妮佛霍姆出生於美國加州，之後搬到賓州東部度過大部分的童年時光。從小就和家中四個兄弟一同成長的霍姆，喜歡和他們一起大玩壘球、足壘球、爬樹，和到小溪游泳等戶外活動。霍姆喜歡從自身的童年經歷和家族故事裡尋找創作靈感。因為時常聽到母親談論過去隨曾祖母回西嶼拜訪親友的童年回憶，而得到靈感創作出這個融合童年趣事、歷史故事，和濃濃美國西嶼風情的小說。
霍姆目前和丈夫與兩個孩子定居加州，並持續創作兒童故事，但她也不忘告訴讀者：「我希望你和我一樣享受《小龜的天堂》這個故事。如果你有機會到西嶼一遊，千萬記得要甩甩你的鞋子。」
JENNIFER L. HOLM is the author of two other Newbery Honor Books, as well as the Babymouse and Squish series which she collaborates on with her brother Matthew Holm.
