The Great Snapping Turtle Adventure by Susan Yaruta-Young

How often does someone offer you a snapping turtle for free?  And how often do you later visit an old graveyard and find the old woman's headstone already in the ground?  Was she a ghost?

Secant Publishing and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It was published July 1st, so you can get a copy now.

This is a sweet story of a stepdad taking his boys out to do some crabbing.  Fred is nice, has patience with the boys, and is willing to explore things most people wouldn't.  What more could a father do?

Max and Charles are fascinated by the turtle but soon enough decide they'd rather let her go instead of selling her for turtle soup.  After all, she's about to lay eggs for the next generation...  But how to do that?

The Inn they stay at has a resident ghost.  The boys hear the rocking chair at night while trying to rescue the turtle and get scared.  I think maybe it was the owner of the Inn toying with them, but who knows? They eat at a secret restaurant that has wonderful food.  Where did it come from?  They also visit a button factory that was an interesting side trip.

As I read the story, I didn't know if it was all true or a figment of imagination.  What I do know is that they all had fun and went home with fresh crab to eat.  After all, that's what the trip was about, wasn't it?