The Turtle of Oman

Book cover for The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye
Author

Naomi Shihab Nye

Illustrator

Book Summary

Aref does not want to leave Oman. He does not want to leave his elementary school, his friends, or his beloved grandfather, Sidi. He does not want to live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where his parents will go to graduate school. His mother is desperate for him to pack his suitcase—but he refuses. Finally, she calls Sidi for help. But rather than pack, Aref and Sidi go on a series of adventures. They visit the camp of a thousand stars deep in the desert, they sleep on Sidi’s roof, they fish in the Gulf of Oman and dream about going to India, they travel to the nature reserve to watch the sea turtles. At each stop, Sidi finds a small stone that he later slips into Aref’s suitcase—mementos of home.

Oman, Middle East, Family, Nature, Moving, Immigration, Arab, America

Age Range
Ages 12+ (grades 8 and up), Ages 9 to 12 (grades 4-7)
ISBN #
9780062019721
Publisher
HarperCollins/Greenwillow
Book Category
North Africa & Middle East