Turtles Heading Home! - by Liza Ketchum & Jacqueline Martin & Phyllis Root (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Kemp's ridley sea turtles need help! Young readers will learn about the rescue efforts necessary to save these endangered animals largely due to climate change.

A riveting nonfiction read for 6-9-year-old animal-enthusiasts, future veterinarians, and conservationists that will motivate compassionate kids to start taking action now!

The waters around Cape Cod used to cool off gradually, signaling to sea turtles that it was time to swim south. But now, due to climate change, the water stays warm too long and cools off too quickly, making the turtles too cold to migrate.

Turtles Heading Home! follows the efforts of conservationists as they rescue the turtles, nurse them back to health, and release them into warmer waters. The operation involves hundreds of people, from the volunteers patrolling beaches, to the veterinarians in the hospital, to the pilots who fly the turtles south. All of them share the goal of helping save the Kemp's ridley sea turtle--the most endangered sea turtle in the world.

Review Quotes

A step-by-step account of concerted efforts being made to rescue the hundreds of rare sea turtles washed ashore around Cape Cod every winter.
Successfully reviving plate-size "Kemp's ridley sea turtles" that have been stunned by unseasonably chill waters turns out to be a fussy, complicated process. The authors explain things in careful detail as they give readers a chance to meet many of the workers who search beaches, carefully transport stranded turtles to a wildlife rehabilitation lab for treatment, and then return the survivors to the shore. How rare is the Kemp's ridley? Astonishingly, until recently there was but one nesting site in the world, and in 1985, less than 250 females laid eggs there. Thanks to efforts like the one documented here, that population has been steadily growing since then. The authors also include information on the animal's life cycle; after finishing this work--and poring over the many bright color photos--concerned young eco-activists will come away agreeing with the wildlife biologist who dubs these turtles "charismatic." Those eager to help will appreciate the backmatter, which offers guidance on combating climate change and helping sea turtles.
An inspiring success story for animal-rescue advocates.
--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Liza Ketchum is the author of seventeen books for young people, including The Life Fantastic and The Last Garden. Her books have appeared on the ALA's Best Book lists and the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing. She and her husband divide their time between Vermont and Massachusetts.
www.lizaketchum.org

Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the author of over twenty picture books for children, including award-winners Snowflake Bentley, a Caldecott medal winner, and Creekfinding: A True Story, recipient of the Green Earth Award for Environmental Writing for Children and a Riverby Award. Jacqueline lives in Iowa with her husband.
jacquelinebriggsmartin.com

Phyllis Root is the author of fifty books for children, including Big Belching Bog; Plant a Pocket of Prairie; One North Star; Big Momma Makes the World, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner; and The Lost Forest, a National Outdoor Book Award winner. Phyllis resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
phyllisiroot.com