Sweet T and the Turtle Team

Sweet T and the Turtle Team is a beautifully written tale with a summer adventure readers won't ever forget.

​Tara (Sweet T), her sister Jenna, and their mom are spending the summer on Gull Island at their Great Aunt Mae's house. Tara misses her friends back home as she struggles to make friends on the island. So far the only excitement has been the countless times Jenna's stuffed rabbit, Fuzzy, goes missing, but that's all about to change. When Tara's mom needs a Turtle Team to protect the baby turtle nests along the beach Tara jumps at the chance. Eventually she even convinces other island kids to help, but the baby turtles aren't in the clear yet as tropical storm Parker approaches. Do Tara and the Turtle Team have what it takes?

Cat Michaels does an incredible job of creating an exciting tale in a short chapter book. The characters develop a great deal from beginning to end. Working as a team the children learn acceptance of others, forge a special bond, and discover that everyone can make a difference. The author also touches on the topics of bullying and dyslexia and uses her strong character, Sweet T, to uncover creative solutions.

The illustrations are stunning. I found myself mesmerized with the amazing detailed watercolors found throughout the book.

The extra activities with videos and quizzes at the end of the story help instill the lessons learned from Sweet T and her friends.

Kudos to Cat Michaels for a job well done! I highly recommend Sweet T and the Turtle Team.

Cat Michaels has done it again! Sweet T and the Turtle Team is the third book in the series and was a delight to read. Cat truly paints a vivid picture of Gull Island, I felt like I was sipping lemonade on Aunt Mae's porch while enjoying hard boiled peanuts with the gang. As you read this book you learn importance of caring for wildlife, and the hazards that they face. There is also a valuable lesson that many kids will be able to relate to, that of true friendship and not judging individuals for their struggles.

In the third book of the Sweet T series, young readers will imagine themselves summering on Gull Island alongside Tara (Sweet T), her family and new friends. Slip on a pair of flip flops, sip a glass of Aunt Mae’s pink lemonade and nibble on some boiled peanuts, while learning about the loggerhead sea turtles and the great efforts taken to protect the species. The author teaches in a creative manner about the natural world and its hazards that her intended audience will find appealing. Intermittent chapters of text conversation to and from T’s older sister, back home, make a clever and relevant addition. Bonus photos, videos, mind ticklers and so much more are included after the story, for further enrichment. Illustrations done in watercolor add a nostalgic charm to the tale.