Beat the Turtle Drum

By Constance C. Greene and Bette Greene

Book Overview

Twelve-year-old Kate and her younger sister, Joss, are close friends-which is unusual, because the two of them are completely different. Thoughtful Kate plans to be a writer someday, while bubbly Joss makes friends wherever she goes. This promises to be their best summer yet, because Joss is going to rent a horse for the week of her eleventh birthday. Although Kate is excited, she somehow feels that they are almost too happy-that something bad is bound to happen... Book jacket. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140368507
• ISBN13: 9780140368505
• Release Date: March 1994
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.3" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Beat the Turtle Drum

ISBN 044040875x - Beat the Turtle Drum, an ALA Notable Book, has only one real flaw - it never explains the title. Research gave me 2 possiblities. The one that seems closest is: The turtle represents protection and long life. The circles on the turtle's shell represent the circle of life. Joss is a horse-crazy 10 year-old. Her sister, Kate, plans to be a writer and tells this story in the first person. Joss has been...

a modern classic

I read this book in the 6th grade. My copy is downright ragged now but I still cherish it because it's a great story. Kate and Joss are two very different sisters and when tragedy strikes Kate learns about hope, the power of memory and the strength of her family.

So beautiful, and so sad

I first read this book when I was eleven years old. For some reason, although it saddened me, it didn't seem real: I'd never known anybody my own age who had died, and I couldn't comprehend the grief of the older sister, Kate, when her little sister Joss died suddenly. Last year, however, my 7-year-old son died unexpectedly. The pain of such loss is incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't suffered such a terrible thing...

A touching story of two sisters and dealing with change

This book was published the year I was born and when I was 8 or 9 I remember seeing it in the library and at Fred Meyer's while looking at books. I soon became familiar with the author when I read her book Isabelle The Itch. Although this book seemed good, I didn't get interested in it until much later, in fact I picked up a copy last week at a thrift store for 50 cents and I just finished reading it today. MMM, what...

Touching, sad, wonderful

I really liked this book because it shows how quickly a person can grow up after a loved one's death affects them. I also liked the poem in the front, because the poem is subsequently much different than the story. Youth does not last forever for Kate, and sorrow comes quickly when Joss suddenly dies.