Beat the Turtle Drum

An ALA Notable Book and an IRA-CBC Children’s Choice: Losing your sister can mean losing your best friend too

Thirteen-year-old Kate is thrilled for her sister, Joss, when Joss finds out she gets to keep a horse for a week as a birthday present.

Then in one tragic moment, all of the happiness is gone, and numbness and grief overwhelm the family. Kate cannot imagine how she’ll survive but knows somehow she must come to terms with her loss. In this heart-wrenching story, Kate strives to find a place where joyful memories and painful loss can coexist.

“Greene brings her trademark blend of quirky humor and acute perception to this bittersweet tale of two sisters’ summer together.” —Publishers Weekly

“Constance C. Greene has written a remarkable tale.” —The New York Times Book Review

Constance C. Greene is the author of over twenty highly successful young adult novels, including the ALA Notable Book A Girl Called Al, Al(exandra) the Great, Getting Nowhere, and Beat the Turtle Drum, which is an ALA Notable Book, an IRA-CBC Children’s Choice, and the basis for the Emmy Award–winning after-school special Very Good Friends. Greene lives in Milford, Connecticut.