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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
I found the beginning of the book quite dull with dialogue and character dynamics that fell flat. Once Sidi, the main character's grandfather finally entered the story, the book thankfully picked up its pace and I could enjoy the light-hearted beauty of the prose, the way each scene was a love note to Oman, and the sweet exchanges between Aref and Sidi. I don't know if I would've bothered with this book if I was a kid, but my nostalgic adult self enjoyed it.
A thoughtful read as we follow Aref and his grandfather throughout their days in Oman, before Aref's family moves to the United States for three years. I feel like a younger reader might be constantly waiting for something big and exciting to happen, but if you know someone who doesn't mind the slow contemplative nature of the story, this is a fantastic opportunity to see the Middle East in a calm, loving light. It is so incredibly important that children and older readers have the opportunity to connect with a place that is so often demonized in our culture. Sidi especially shows us the beautiful connections of community and treating everyone as your friend. We need more of this in the world.
But does he make it to Ann Arbor? ... The book was about the preparation to move and the process of letting go. The family really could have been moving anywhere, based on where the story ends. Based on the dust jacket description, I was expecting a story of life at U of M as seen through an immigrant child’s eyes. Had my expectations been different, I probably would have enjoyed it more.
The Turtle Of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye is an adorable book that will certainly get good mileage among its intended audience – elementary school children. Read the rest of my review here
Sweet and relatively short story about a young boy in Oman who is nervous to move to America. Some nice lessons about love, family, and the power of our own attitudes. Definitely recommended, and the audio version is wonderful.
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read for the Book Riot Read Harder 2019 challenge (Children's or middle grade book that has received a diversity award since 2009) since it won the Arab American Book Award for Children's/YA books in 2015.
This is on the younger end of middle grade fiction, so it wasn't necessarily a personal favorite. But I absolutely see the appeal of protagonist Aref, struggling with saying goodbye to Oman, the only home he's known, to go live in the United States for three years while his parents work on earning dual PhDs. Moving away from everything is daunting enough when you stay within the same country, much less pick up to go to a new one. Luckily, Aref is close with his grandfather, Sidi, who takes him to see his favorite things one last time, from the camp they went to years before to the beach where turtles hatch their eggs. Aref's feelings are will resonate with young readers, as will his frenetic energy and swinging moods as the move draws close. The relationship with his grandfather is also incredibly touching. Just a sweet, slow read about all the little things that make home home.
This is on the younger end of middle grade fiction, so it wasn't necessarily a personal favorite. But I absolutely see the appeal of protagonist Aref, struggling with saying goodbye to Oman, the only home he's known, to go live in the United States for three years while his parents work on earning dual PhDs. Moving away from everything is daunting enough when you stay within the same country, much less pick up to go to a new one. Luckily, Aref is close with his grandfather, Sidi, who takes him to see his favorite things one last time, from the camp they went to years before to the beach where turtles hatch their eggs. Aref's feelings are will resonate with young readers, as will his frenetic energy and swinging moods as the move draws close. The relationship with his grandfather is also incredibly touching. Just a sweet, slow read about all the little things that make home home.
Naomi Shibab Nye is a lovely writer, and her anthropology background can be seen in how people and their homelands are brought into her prose. However, The Turtle of Oman was rather dull as far as the story itself.
A young Oman boy, Aref, does not want to leave his home for American, where his parents will be getting their doctorates. The entire story is Aref putting off packing and spending time with Sidi, his grandfather, and saying goodbye to friends and the landscape. Again, it was all written in a lovely way, but it was repetitive and felt like it was just drawing out the inevitable.
A young Oman boy, Aref, does not want to leave his home for American, where his parents will be getting their doctorates. The entire story is Aref putting off packing and spending time with Sidi, his grandfather, and saying goodbye to friends and the landscape. Again, it was all written in a lovely way, but it was repetitive and felt like it was just drawing out the inevitable.
This book had all of the things that I normally love about children's books: whimsey, a charming main character and kind, wise adults. It just didn't quite hit for me. I think it's because Aref is a little too charming(when he wasn’t being a complete brat), a little too insightful. He just didn't strike me a very real--at least in my experience with children. I did, however, LOVE Sidi. I realize I may be in the minority here, and many people will love this book. I just happened to merely like it.