Morgan Otter Saves the Sea Turtles

By Tara V. Thompson and Candace Andersen

Eight-year-old Morgan Otter moves from her home in the hot Arizona desert to damp, green Georgia when her father gets a new job. She attends a day camp at the Nature Center where she meets new friends and learns about the animals of the Lowcountry, including endangered sea turtles. As Morgan learns about the sea turtles, she vows to become a sea turtle superhero with her new friend, Claire. The dynamic duo help protect baby sea turtles at the beach and make sure they make it to the ocean unharmed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• Release date: Nov 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781944995003

Book preview

Morgan Otter Saves the Sea Turtles

Tara V. Thompson

Amberjack Publishing

New York, New York

Amberjack Publishing

228 Park Avenue S #89611

New York, NY 10003-1502

http://amberjackpublishing.com

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, fictitious places, and events are the products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or events is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Tara V. Thompson

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, in part or in whole, in any form whatsoever without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Names: Thompson, Tara V., author. | Andersen, Candace, illustrator.

Title: Morgan Otter Saves the Sea Turtles / By Tara V. Thompson ; Illustrated by Candace Andersen.

Description: New York [New York]: Amberjack Publishing, 2016.

|Identifiers: ISBN 978-1-944995-01-0 (pbk.) | 978-1-944995-00-3 (ebook) | LCCN 2016933283.

Summary: Morgan Otter, who is part Cherokee, moves to the coast of Georgia, learns about sea turtles, and helps a nest of sea turtles hatch.

Subjects: LCSH Sea turtles--Juvenile fiction. | Friendship--Juvenile fiction. | Cherokee Indians--Juvenile fiction. | Racially mixed people--Juvenile fiction. | Wildlife conservation--Juvenile fiction. | Wilmington Island (Ga.)--Juvenile fiction. | BISAC JUVENILE FICTION / General | JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Turtles.

Classification: LCC PZ7.N67188 Mo 2016 | DCC [Fic] --dc23

Cover Design & Illustrations: Candace Andersen

Printed in the United States of America

Chapter One

On the drive to their new house, Morgan is quiet. Eight-year-old Morgan and her parents are moving to Wilmington Island, Georgia because her mum got a new job in nearby Savannah. She already misses her best friend terribly, even though she just saw Sara yesterday before she and her parents flew here from Phoenix, Arizona. She won’t even get to see her dog, an Australian Shepherd named Abby, until tomorrow because her parents don’t want Abby underfoot while the movers are there.

Here we are! Mum announces.

Morgan looks out her window at their new house. It is a two-story house with light blue siding and a garage on the bottom floor. There are stairs that run up the front of the house to the front door. The small front yard has a tall pine tree and a few bushes near the house.

The movers are already parked in the driveway, ready for them to arrive. Dad parks the car on the street in front of the house, and he gets out to greet the movers and starts directing them on where to put the boxes and furniture.

Let’s go, Mum says as she gets out of the car. We should help the movers, she continues in her heavy Scottish accent.

Morgan doesn’t get out because if she does, it means that they have really moved here. She is still hoping that it is a dream and that when she wakes up, she will be in Phoenix, ready for another day of playing with Sara.

Mum peeks her head in, Morgan, what are ye doing? Come on, it is time to go see our new home!

I don’t want to go, Morgan whimpers. I want to go back to Phoenix.

Mum sighs and hugs her. I know, dearie. But this is our home now. I know what will cheer ye. I have a surprise for ye.

What is it? Morgan asks.

There is only one way to find out, Mum says. Ye have to get out of the car and come inside to see.

Morgan sits in the car for another minute, torn between wanting the surprise and never, ever wanting to get out of the car. Curiosity wins, and Morgan climbs out of the backseat. She and her mother grab their suitcases and go up the front steps to the new

Reviews for Morgan Otter Saves the Sea Turtles

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is written for children, but I do not think they will find it very interesting. The plot is very simple. Morgan's family moves to Georgia from Arizona and Morgan is angry at them. She is so sad that she does not want to do anything. Even though she discovers a treehouse, that can not shake her meloncholy. Most of the book is about animals and sea turtles. Unfortunately there is not much happening in the story to hold the interest of children.

Morgan Otter is a mixed race child with a Scottish mother and Cherokee father. There is the beginning of a discussion about Native Americans but it is quickly brushed away. Luckily, she goes to summer camp where she learns a lot about sea animals and make new friends. The book had several black and white illustrations which looked quite good. I am not sure I would recommend this book to children unless they were really interested in animals and/or the Lowcountry.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.