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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
A lovely, eye-opening look into life in another culture.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Have you ever had to move? Be far away from a beloved relative? Did that make you sad? Then you can relate to Aref's story. I loved the descriptions of the beaches and deserts of Oman, but most of all I loved Aref's relationship with his grandfather and his coming to terms with moving to the other side of the world.
I found this book to be incredibly boring. Nothing really of interest happened. For the entire book.
I did not realise it was a kids book but it explained a lot. I was already wondering how a 300 page book became a 4 hour audiobook. It was cute but not for me
"They talked softly, whispering together, as if they didn't want to break a spell. They felt like birds wrapped in their own wings or suspended in the moving waves, comfortably gliding, or secret stones buried in hot sand for hundreds of years. They felt like part of the sky and everything under it. They were tiny and they were also specks of dust floating in moonbeams and they could time travel and be in more than one place at the same moment, and Sidi said in some ways he would always be a boy too even though he didn't look like it anymore, and Aref said, "Sidi, I am also older than you." And all if this made sense to them."
Aref is a young boy in Muscat, Oman (a predominantly Muslim country, though neither Islam nor religion in general are topics in this book) who is so sad to be moving to Michigan, where both his parents will be graduate students at the University of Michigan for the next 3 years. In the week leading up to his departure, he spends quality time with his grandfather, Sidi, while putting off his packing and wondering how he can possibly leave the only home he's ever known.
I have to admit, I found the book slow to start. First I had to get past the realization that the book wasn't really about a turtle. Then, I was looking forward to reading about how things would go in Michigan when my daughter told me that the book ends before the actual move. After adjusting my expectations accordingly, I realized the book is not so much a story in the conventional way, but more like a lovely, poetic homage to Oman, and to the kind of special relationship a boy can have with his grandfather.
As Aref's adventures with Sidi help him to come to terms with his upcoming move, we come to see that Aref is the "turtle of Oman"; like the turtles who "carried their homes on their backs and swam out so far and returned safely to the beach they remembered" (page 210), Aref would be packing his most favorite possessions to bring with him to America, and would return again to his beloved homeland in just a few years.
This book gave me the kind of nostalgia you feel when you are in a moment, and realize that some time in the future, you will look back on that moment and feel sad because you miss that time in your life. Aref and his grandfather create beautiful memories together, but I can't help but wonder, "What if Aref's parents need to extend their studies much longer than the expected 3 years? What if they come back, but the 3 years apart take their toll, and Aref and Sidi never regain the same close relationship? What if Sidi dies while Aref is in America?!" I guess the book isn't about any of those things, anyway.
Ultimately, a good book for anyone interested in learning about another culture, or for a child feeling anxious about an upcoming move. (Even if they don't plan to return, their love for the home they are leaving may draw them back some day.)
I have to admit, I found the book slow to start. First I had to get past the realization that the book wasn't really about a turtle. Then, I was looking forward to reading about how things would go in Michigan when my daughter told me that the book ends before the actual move. After adjusting my expectations accordingly, I realized the book is not so much a story in the conventional way, but more like a lovely, poetic homage to Oman, and to the kind of special relationship a boy can have with his grandfather.
As Aref's adventures with Sidi help him to come to terms with his upcoming move, we come to see that Aref is the "turtle of Oman"; like the turtles who "carried their homes on their backs and swam out so far and returned safely to the beach they remembered" (page 210), Aref would be packing his most favorite possessions to bring with him to America, and would return again to his beloved homeland in just a few years.
This book gave me the kind of nostalgia you feel when you are in a moment, and realize that some time in the future, you will look back on that moment and feel sad because you miss that time in your life. Aref and his grandfather create beautiful memories together, but I can't help but wonder, "What if Aref's parents need to extend their studies much longer than the expected 3 years? What if they come back, but the 3 years apart take their toll, and Aref and Sidi never regain the same close relationship? What if Sidi dies while Aref is in America?!" I guess the book isn't about any of those things, anyway.
Ultimately, a good book for anyone interested in learning about another culture, or for a child feeling anxious about an upcoming move. (Even if they don't plan to return, their love for the home they are leaving may draw them back some day.)
Spot on realism for younger MG readers. Loved the vibrant setting, the grandfather-grandchild relationship, and the narrow scope of the story. Nye really nails Aref's emotional experience; it feels exactly at a child's level.
What a gentle read! Beautifully written, almost poetic prose. Very slow pace, but it doesn't drag.