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The Turtle Of Oman: A Novel (2014)

by Naomi Shihab Nye(Favorite Author)

3.67 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0062019724 (ISBN13: 9780062019721)

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

Greenwillow Books

review 1: Though this is a relatively short book with large type, its slow pacing and beautiful descriptions make it a surprisingly leisurely read. Nye writes so skillfully that her storyline echoes her pacing: we first meet our protagonist, 8-year-old Aref, as he is saying goodbye to his father at the airport, and we spend the week with him, just before he and his mother are about to get on an airplane themselves to join Aref's father in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Aref knows intellectually that they will only be gone for a few years (it feels like forever to a little boy), but emotionally he is having a very hard time accepting the fact that he must leave his beloved house, his cat, his city, and most of all Sidi, his much-adored grandfather. Nye's story is unusual because it is not ab... moreout the act of moving: it is about the act of leaving, the process of detachment and the phenomenon of change. Her descriptions of Oman and the city of Muscat are perfectly shown through the senses of a young boy and it is refreshing to read about a Middle Eastern city as a normal and peaceful home. This is the best kind of multicultural fiction, because it shows children how other children live in the everyday and emphasizes the universals of being human. Cultural details are presented as a normal part of life. 4th grade and up.
review 2: This was a great book because it was different than reading my romance novels. I loved the plot and that the story kept unraveling. I was really hoping to see how Michigan was going to go for Aref, but never go to that part. Hoping that there will be another book that will show me some amazing adventures in Michigan. I really enjoy Aref's adventure with his grandfather. I don't think that I would have volunteered to camp out at a desert. I would freak out. The thought of getting lost and just seeing sand is very scary. It's hard to move to another Country not knowing what awaits you. It's even harder traveling to another Country and being foreign to the language. My parents came from PR, not knowing any English and it was very difficult for them. I loved the adventures with the Turtles, looking forward to seeing more of them. Aref is a smart boy who wishes that he didn't have to go to America but instead wished to go to India. Home is where ever your family is. Overall it was hard to put the book down because I wanted to unravel the next adventure. less

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