Turtles In My Sandbox Paperback – March 10, 2010

Early one morning Maggie is surprised to find turtle eggs buried in her sandbox. Mama Turtle must have thought Maggie's sandbox was the beach. Maggie and her mother call the Turtle Lady. She explains what needs to be done to keep the eggs warm and safe until they hatch. All summer, for 55 days Maggie keeps a close watch on the eggs.One hot September day, Maggie sits on the edge of her sandbox and witnesses the birth of the speckle faced babies as they peck their way out of their eggs. Maggie names each turtle as it is born. The babies remain in their secure nest for a few days, and then they are transported indoors to tanks with heat lamps. Maggie and her mother become part of the "head start" program. The turtles eat cut-up fish and turtle pellets. They live in slightly salted water until early summer.On the first day of summer Maggie helps the wildlife expert place metal tags through the edges of the shell of each turtle. The tags don't hurt the turtles but could possibly help the experts learn more about them. The 9 month old turtles are released into the bay, Maggie waves good-bye as they disappear into the sea.This story and website, [....]are based on a real program that allows students in Maryland to help wildlife experts protect and learn more about their state reptile - the diamondback terrapin. Terrapin Station was started by a woman affectionately know as Maryland's Turtle Lady, Margaret Whilden.The "Creative Minds" section is filled with turtle facts. The last pages of the book have line drawings of three different types of turtles: a diamondback terrapin, a loggerhead sea turtle, and a desert turtle. Turtles In My Sandbox, is another winner from Sylvan Dell Publishing.

A few decades ago, it was a common thing to have terrapins as pets in homes and classrooms. One could win them at fairs and buy them with painted shells at seaside resorts. It was a shame then that there was not more education about terrapins and their natural habitat. Jennifer Keats Curtis' most informative book would have been welcome then as it surely is now.Children can easily relate to Ms. Curtis' book and the tale of Maggie who finds terrapin eggs in her sandbox! With the help of the Turtle Lady, Maggie and her mother care for the eggs until the turtles hatch and are released back into the sea. It is a delight that Ms. Curtis uses the scientific terms for the body parts of the terrapins as it helps children stretch their vocabularies. Emanuel Schongut's watercolor illustrations are clear, detailed and offer excellent support to the text. The facts and color activities at the end of the book are a first-rate addition to the book. This book is highly recommended for ages 4 - 10, and will be a great addition to second to fifth grade science units in classrooms.

Here's a book for young turtle lovers, especially budding scientists. It begins when Maggie finds eggs in her old sandbox by the beach. At first she doesn't know what kind of eggs she has found but soon she figures out that they are turtle eggs. Maggie and her mom learn everything they can about turtles and becoming a "turtle-sitter." They enlist the help of the "turtle lady," use online sources and anything that will help them learn how to care for the turtle eggs and then the turtles.Excellent, well-written information on every page. Includes a helpful five-page educational supplent in the back. The illustrations are just right for this subject and young readers.

I am a classroom teacher and mom. This books is so great for both of those roles! It is a captivating story about Maggie and the turtles she looks after for 9 months. But it is also overflowing with facts that allow the reader to learn without feeling as though they are reading a non-fiction essay. My boys wanted pet turtles after reading and have shown a genuine interest in the animals thanks to Ms. Keats Curtis. They also want a sandbox even though we live nowhere near the beach. I guess they can always hope. Again, great read and perfect for home or school.

I was delighted to see that SylvanDell published another book with illustrations by Emanuel Schongut. I had previously bought 6 copies of A Christmas Blizzard, so moved by the wonderful story and pictures, ,and gave them out last year as Christmas presents. I have done the same this year with this lovely book. Schongut manages to capture, not just the world of J.K. Curtis' story, but a joyful and colorful emotion that is so lacking in many children's books marketed today. The story is also rich in empathy and the wisdom of conservation and wildlife protection.I thoroughly recommend this book.

I bought this book for my 3 year old son and he is now competely enthralled with turtles. He wants to be a "turtle sitter" and laughs hysterically when Maggie names the turtles. He has also asked me to buy this book for 3 of his friends. It's a great book whether you live near the water or not. My son and I highly recommend it as a very entertaining yet educational book.

As a teacher intern I am always looking for new books to integrate into my classwork and for my future classroom. This book is a wonderful resource for our students and will be a integral part of my cross-curriculum teaching. I look forward to sharing this book with all of my colleagues so they can incorporate this book into their classroom as well. I have a 15 and 12 year old who think the book is adorable and a 6 month old along with 18 month twin niece and nephew who will soon too love it.

We bought this book for our 4 year-old daughter and she LOVES it. The illustrations are beautiful and she loves hearing the terrapins' names and likes to imagine she's Maggie. We condense the story a little for her, so I think the book would be great for older kids too. The story has great habitat and animal details as well as a nice conservation lesson. Highly recommend it for anyone familiar with the Chesapeake Bay!