[1] Written in a diary format, the story follows Kate, a thirteen-year-old aspiring poet, whose best friend is her little sister, eleven-year-old Joss.

Joss wakes early every day to ride and tend to the horse, as well as makes him a comfortable home in the family garage.

She finds comfort in unexpected places, such as staying strong for the younger, heartbroken Tootie, and from her mother's cousin Mona, who she'd previously disdained due to a glandular problem.

Beat the Turtle Drum has been compared with similar book Bridge to Terabithia as an exploration of childhood death from a child's perspective, earning praise early on for its approach to the subject matter.

The latter title was changed for the adaptation due to concerns over potential audience confusion over the meaning of the phrase "turtle drum", which had been a line of poetry cited in the original book, credited to Ian Serraillier.