TURTLE MOON

Curtis Edson twelve though looking forward to summer is dealing with loneliness and worries about his mother. It is 1942 and World War II is raging. Living near Sebastian Inlet in Florida Curtis and his mother are experiencing the results of the war. They both miss his father who joined the Navy. Despite this his house the thatched saw palmetto-fronds hideout--he and his father built--and the beach remain his special world. Into that world comes Jakob who reminds Curtis of his father. Jakob who is an injured seaman from a cargo ship bombed by a German U-boat off the coast. As he heals at Curtis's hideout they become friends. He listens to Curtis talk with interest. He joins Curtis in watching a sea turtle lay eggs. He helps drive away the loneliness. But soon Curtis finds himself and everyone he cares about--his mother his three-legged dog Bandit and the neighbors--in danger. And Curtis must deal with that danger before it is too late. (Ages 8-12)