Book Blurb:
Silver Trevelon’s parents aren’t happy. They haven’t been happy since the nursery they decorated started gathering cobwebs, waiting for the baby brother or sister that never came. So when Silver’s dad is invited to paint at a turtle rescue centre in Costa Rica, she hopes it’ll be just the adventure the family needs.
Under the hot tropical sun, Silver settles into life at the animal centre. She even witnesses a rare sighting of a leatherback turtle nesting on the beach. But when the turtle’s eggs are stolen, events take a dark and dangerous turn. Can Silver and her new friends track them down before it's too late? It’ll mean journeying into the heart of the jungle …
My thoughts:
Full disclosure: I'm very very lucky to have become friends with Hannah and her lovely hubby, Chris....having read her previous books and loved them, we became friends online and I've been lucky enough to spend time with them at several events over the last few years...they're great people: kind, generous and caring, and I can't thank them enough for including my family and I in their circle. Lots of love.
But to the book.....I've taken ages to write this review (apologies to Hannah and to Harper Collins, who sent me a copy before Christmas!). I absolutely loved 'the Last Bear' and said when it came out that I thought it was an award-winner - I'm glad I was right! I think this title may be even better, though!
It still has all the hallmarks of Hannah's writing - environmental issues at the forefront, a strong lead character with some family/relationship issues in the background on an adventure involving endangered animals, and danger and thrilling adventure aplenty within the pages. this title however, is more serious than others that have come before...dare I say it, more gritty and real, in terms of the relationships with animals being more likely (no friendly Bears eating peanut butter here, much as we loved them!). In this book, Hannah's lead character, Silver, is part of a family with their own problems that play almost as big a part in the book as the efforts to save the turtles on the island she and her family escape to in a hope it may solve some of their issues at home: in particular, infertility and the effect it has on Silver's mum and their relationship.
At times, this is a tough read, and Hannah's sensitive dealings with the subject don't shy away from the description and building of feelings in Silver of not being good enough, and worry about her parents and their relationship. It's honest, raw and powerful, and may bring a tear to the eye as the characters come to terms with each other and the effects of the complications on themselves and those around them.
The story involving the turtles and Silver and her sidekick is equally as powerful and engaging, with a chase sequence through the Costa Rican jungle worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster!
This book has got fun, danger, adventure, and ultimately bravery, hope and love at it's heart, and it's another brilliant example of Hannah's great writing for this age group....I'm not going to predict awards this time for fear of repeating myself, but I wouldn't be surprised, and I'm honoured and thrilled to have been able to share my thoughts and this guest piece from the amazing Hannah herself as part of the FCBG Book Awards blog tour! I have my fingers crossed or Hannah and turtle Moon, and it will be another well and richly deserved accolade should it win.
Author guest blog:
Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold
My debut novel, The Last Bear, told the tale of an eleven-year-old girl called April who
becomes best friends with a wild polar bear.
I’ll be honest with you, I never actually intended to make The Last Bear a book about climate
change. My goal had simply been to capture the magical bond between children and
animals, but once I had chosen a polar bear as the main character it was impossible to write
a contemporary story about them without talking about the melting ice caps.
It was the same with my second book, The Lost Whale, which touches upon the many
threats facing marine mammals, Finding Bear, the sequel to The Last Bear and now with my
fourth and newest book, Turtle Moon – a Costa Rican adventure starring a plucky eleven-
year-old girl called Silver, a rare leatherback turtle and eighty-nine precious turtle eggs.
Why turtles? I hear you ask. Firstly, because children love them – always the most important
consideration! But also, because here is a species that has been around since the time of the
dinosaurs and yet is now facing multiple threats to their survival. This includes the loss of
nesting grounds, propeller collisions, mistaking plastic for food and being snared up in
bycatch. The setting for Turtle Moon is a wildlife sanctuary threatened by the poaching
industry.
Spoiler alert: Turtle Moon has a happy ending. But unfortunately, this is often not the case
in real life for our many animal friends. This means as a children’s author, I have a level of
responsibility to my younger readers - I know firsthand from the numerous school visits I do,
that many children feel incredibly anxious in the face of so much wildlife loss. This doesn’t
mean shying away from the big topics, but it does mean intentionally leaving the reader
with a feeling of hope, of empowerment and of agency.
Since publication, it’s been heartwarming to see Turtle Moon used so imaginatively in KS2
classrooms to encourage discussion and to shine a spotlight on these beautiful animals. In
fact, I remain in awe of how schools across the country have used all of my books, not just
to inspire students but also to inspire change. I have heard so many stories of students
adopting class polar bears, writing to their local MP’s or cutting back on plastic usage.
My goal has never been to preach about environmental issues though. In truth, I just love
writing big-hearted adventure stories full of emotion and excitement! Stories that make
children fall in love with reading, especially in an age where reading for pleasure amongst
young people is on the decline.
Any book that fosters a love of reading is a wonderful, precious thing. But stories that also
act as a gateway into the natural world, that beg us to fall in love with it, to care for it, and
ultimately to protect it, might be the greatest gift of all.
About the FCBG CBA Book Award Blog Tour:
Children across the UK are encouraged to get involved. Copies of the books can be purchased at a discount from our partner supplier Heath Books here [https://www.heathbooks.co.uk/federation-of-childrens-book-groups-childrens-book-award-2025 ] and online voting will be opened at the conclusion of the blog tour.
The deadline for voting is Friday 9th May and category winners and the overall winner of the most popular children’s book published in 2024 will be announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on 7th June, attended by representatives from all our local groups and livestreamed on the FCBG YouTube channel.
Check out other books and blogtour stops via these social media handles:
Find out more:
Hannah talking about Turtle Moon:
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