From before the time she hatches until she returns to the same beach to lay eggs of her own, a sea turtle is helped to escape from danger many times by different human hands.

Spending the summer with his grandmother on South Carolina's Dewees Island, eleven-year-old Jake finds two friends who are also struggling with family issues and together they try to save a sea turtle nest from predators.

Every year Tortoise sleeps through winter. He assumes he isn't missing much. Will Tortoise sleep through another winter, or will his friends convince him to stay awake and experience the frosty fun of winter?