Wind Riders: Rescue on Turtle Beach

Illustrated by Izzy Burton

“Sofia felt the hope that had carried them all the way up that steep, rocky cliff suddenly disappear, like the sun that was dipping below the horizon. Any moment now, the baby turtles might hatch. And there’d be no one there to save them.”

One hot day in Starry Bay, Max meets a girl named Sofia, who is visiting with her parents for the summer. As the kids enjoy some ice cream together, they spot a seagull with a fishing line attached to its leg. Max and Sofia follow the gull into the nearby forest where they stumble upon an abandoned ship engraved with the name Wind Rider. They enter the ship and rescue the gull, but then something strange happens. As soon as Max touches the helm, it begins to spin! A gust of wind appears, and suddenly… they are on water! When the ship finally reaches land, Max and Sofia realize that they have somehow traveled all the way to Hawaii! The two encounter a girl named Laila, who is guiding newly hatched turtles to sea. Laila tells them she’s worried because another group of turtles are supposed to hatch that night—the same night as the Aloha Inn’s grand opening party. Max and Sofia realize that this must be why Wind Rider brought them here—they have to save the baby turtles from the party’s light pollution!

As the first book of the Wind Rider series, Rescue on Turtle Beach teaches about the importance of wildlife conservation, particularly through the lens of light pollution. As Max and Sofia work together to rescue baby turtles from the harmful effects of artificial lights, the story brings attention to how unchecked human progress, like the opening of the Aloha Inn, threatens delicate ecosystems. It’s up to ordinary people, like Max and Sofia, to step in and make a difference. Their adventure in Rescue on Turtle Beach introduces the idea that threats to wildlife exist in every corner of the world, and that anyone, no matter their age, can help play a role in their protection. When the kids attempt to enlist the help of the elderly lighthouse keeper, he is initially hesitant, not fully believing that his actions could make a difference. However, after Max and Sofia educate him on how redirecting the turtles to the lighthouse beam could be a life-saving solution, the keeper agrees to help them. This change in perspective emphasizes the importance of intergenerational responsibility and the need to raise environmental awareness to help preserve vulnerable and endangered species.

©2026 ClimateLit (Alexandra Delacruz)

More:

  • Rescue on Turtle Beach is the first book in the illustrated chapter book series Wind Rinders. See reviews for other books here.

Publisher: Harper Collins, 2021

Audience: Ages 4-7, Ages 8-13

ISBN: 9780063029248

Pages: 128

Format: Novels

Topics: Coastal Development, Collective Climate Action, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environmental Awareness, Human Expansionism, Intergenerational Coalitions, Kinship Care, Light Pollution, Wildlife, Youth Climate Activism