Turtles of the Midnight Moon

Fitzgerald’s page-turning debut, a contemporary eco-mystery with a touch of magical realism, explores timely themes of friendship and identity while tracing two girls’ heartwarming bond. Though Mamá wishes that Barana would focus more on domestic cares, the 12-year-old volunteers to help the leatherback sea turtles nesting near the family’s coastal Honduran home, Pataya—including the turtle to which Barana is connected via a tingling, crescent-shaped scar. In northern New Jersey, aspiring photographer Aberdeen “Abby” Durón is closing out a sixth grade year that turned miserable after her only friend moved away. When Abby’s always-busy doctor Papi offers to take her with him on a summer assignment to his native Honduras, she jumps at the chance. The girls initially clash when Abby and her dad stay in Barana’s family’s casita, but they grow closer in facing a poaching plot that puts the entire nesting season at risk. As the two assemble clues and pin down suspects, Honduras is rendered in stunning natural detail that reminds readers just what the friends are fighting to protect. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (Mar.)