About the Author

M. EVAN WOLKENSTEIN is a high school teacher and writer. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies, and Hebrew University. His work can be found in Tablet magazine and the Washington Post, and on BimBam.com. He lives with his wife and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area. Turtle Boy is his debut novel.

Reviews

"Turtle Boy is a marvelous coming-of-age story . . . about bravery and the redemptive power of friendship. A perfect summer read." —Kveller

"Turtle Boy—both boy and book—is a winner." —Booklist, starred review“A story about what it means to be brave when all you want to do is hide in your shell." —Lynne Kelly, author of Song for a Whale

"A wholesome blend of humor and grief, Will’s story will appeal to younger and older readers alike. A beautiful debut that wears its heart on its sleeve." —The Nerd Daily"A strong debut novel about grief, loss, and coming out of one's shell." —School Library Journal"A satisfying arc, from sadness to dawning hope and strength." —Kirkus Reviews"A masterful mingling of deeply resonant themes, including self-esteem, loneliness, loss, and the rewards of improbable friendships." —Publishers Weekly

“Wolken­stein por­trays mid­dle school bul­ly­ing with unflinch­ing accu­ra­cy. The ambi­tious nov­el bal­ances sev­er­al dif­fer­ent themes with real­is­tic char­ac­ters . . . . richly drawn and compelling. Tur­tle Boy is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed._ —Jewish Book Council