When eleven-year-old Miles moves to Marsh Hollow, he's desperate for a
fresh start. At his last school, his ADHD-related challenges earned him
a reputation as a troublemaker and cost him his friends, especially
after he lost a beloved class pet. With just one chance to make a first
impression, "Mayhem Miles" is determined to do something great in this
town. Like solving a mystery. After witnessing people burying something
in his neighbor's backyard one night, he's sure there's trouble--and
this time, it's not his fault. When his other neighbor, Pia, invites him
to join the Backyard Rangers to help protect endangered turtles at the
pond behind his house, Miles knows this is his chance to investigate. He
stumbles on clues that point to wildlife poaching. Sabotaged turtle
traps, stolen eggs, and kidnapped hatchlings put the fragile turtle
population at risk. Miles and Pia recruit two more Backyard Rangers to
help track a string of suspects, including an obsessive gardener, an
eccentric pet shop owner, and the town bully and his drifter uncle. Then
the rangers start receiving threatening messages, and an unexpected
twist turns suspicion back on Miles. Has his reputation for trouble
followed him all the way to Marsh Hollow? It's up to Miles to convince
his new friends that he's not who they think he is, and to stop the
turtle crimes before more turtles--and people--get hurt. A
friendship-centered eco-mystery, Trouble at Turtle Pond celebrates
citizen science, activist kids, and the power of paying attention.
