Tag Archives: oman

Apr27

The Turtle of Michigan by Naomi Shihab Nye

Posted on by
Standard
The Turtle of Michigan by Naomi Shihab Nye

turtle

This is not a religious story, it is part cultural, but it is really all heart.  The sweet relationship between a boy and his sidi stole my heart in The Turtle of Oman, and in this stand alone companion book, I once again was swept away by the admiration and relationship of the two.  This lyrical middle grade book is slow and enveloping with its cadence and detail.  There is no real climax, but the character driven story will linger long after the last of the 322 pages are read.  The book is clean, and never states the characters are Muslim, but it hints at it.  It celebrates Oman and America, and would be a great read aloud in a classroom or at bedtime with its poetic passages, lists, and emails back and forth across the ocean.

SYNOPSIS:

Aref has finally left Oman for Michigan and as he and his mother board the plane and start their adventure to America to join their father who has gone ahead to set everything up, Aref’s heart aches for all he has known in Oman, and for his beloved grandfather.  Once in Michigan, his days are filled with tagging along with his parents to their university classes, exploring Ann Arbor, making friends, and getting to know the neighbors.  Everything in America is new and different, but sometimes the same too.  He writes messages catching his Sidi up on all that he is taking in, and Sidi writes back, but it isn’t the same.  From new flavors of ice cream, the first snow, celebrating Christmas for the first time, and giving a speech on Martin Luther King Jr Day in an Omani hat, there are so many new things Aref feels his Sidi is missing, if only he would come and visit.

Sidi on the other side of the world is lonely.  He is trying to take computer classes so he can email his grandson, he can’t figure out how to message on his smart phone, and tries to avoid going anywhere that reminds him of Aref.  But he and Aref went everywhere in his jeep, so Sidi doesn’t go out, and is not doing well as a result.  It will be three long years before they return to Oman, and Sidi might need to be brave and board a plane.  The reunion is not a surprise for the reader, only for Aref, but it is tender and warm and worth the journey for them both.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I wish there was some clear Islam, there is mention of not celebrating Christmas normally, a prayer room at the airport, peace be upon him when there is a death, and prayer beads, so it is possibly there if you search, but it isn’t at the same time.  I know I say this a lot in books like this, but it seems that when the religion and culturally religious words are withheld it seems a bit hollow.  A family coming straight from Oman to America doesn’t say Assalamualaikum ever, or make dua when hardships arise, or say InshaAllah or MashaAllah? It seems watered down and overly dismissed. I guess the way Christmas is framed is understandable, they are trying so many new American things they decide to give each other one gift to try it too, I wish though Ramadan would have been mentioned or Eid.

All that being said, I absolutely love Aref and the world through his daily actions.  He is endearing and his love for his grandpa is goals.  I love that Aref’s new school is so diverse and that everyone is celebrated and accepted, it isn’t a story of him being the new kid, but rather them all bringing something unique to the school experience.  The first graders as conflict resolvers is either a bit hard to believe or based on something real and absolutely brilliant, I am still undecided about that. Also as an adult reader, I couldn’t help but notice how money never seems to be a problem, and while I don’t know if children will pick up on it, it seemed a little surprising for two parents that are professors to never stress about it.

The language and emotional pull the story has is remarkable, and I think the slower pace would be hard for kids to get used to initially, but it will win them over and the rhythm of the story will hook them and make it hard for them to put the book down once they get going.

FLAGS:

Some bullying discussions

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Too young for any book clubs I host, but definitely want it on the library shelf.

Jan12

The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye

Posted on by
Standard

The Turtle of Oman

This slow, aimless, subtle, quiet prose-like book, is unexpectedly charming and endearing, and so not like most every young adult book out there.   I truly want to make all 4th through 8th graders read it, absorb it and ruminate in the love shared between a nine-year-old boy, his grandfather, and their home.  The easy 299 pages flow by on a 4.6 reading level and make you long for a kind grandfather to help you see the amazing in the ordinary, and provide you with gentle strength when facing life changing events .  The Turtle of Oman has no climax and no conclusion, yet it offers hope and warmth in a reassuring manner that makes you feel better for having read it.

SUMMARY:

Aref is moving from Oman to Ann Arbor Michigan for three years while his parents pursue their education.  To say he is dreading the move is an understatement.  Lucky for him, and the reader, Aref’s grandfather Sidi, helps him create some memories to take with him to America.  While they spend time together, travel around the country, and talk, the reader is drawn into a world where Aref and Sidi, finish each other’s sentences, and blur the lines of fact and make believe with their stories.  Their love and ease with one another is so seamless that not only are they best friends, and relatives, but they are so intertwined the thought of their separation is heartbreaking.

“Aref kept thinking that no matter what you say, there is something more inside that you can’t say.  You talk around it in a circle, like stirring water with a stick, when ripples swirl out from the center.  You say something that isn’t quite right and that’s worse.  Then you want to say, sorry!  But no one knows what you mean.

He wished he could tell Sidi, you are the king of my heart forever, I don’t care who else I meet, I don’t care about traveling and new friends and different flavored yogurts, I only care about how nice you are and how much I cannot stand the thought of being far from you, ever, ever, ever.

But he could never say this.”

Sidi has passed his love of rocks on to Aref and each adventure involves Sidi slipping a rock to Aref as a token for him to remember their adventures and each other.  From exploring the beach, camping in the deserts, sleeping on the roof, and going out on a fishing boat, the duo relishes in the details of everyday life that make life worth living.  Along the way Aref keeps lists of interesting facts and the reader learns about animals, Oman, Michigan and so much more.  But no matter how much prodding and reassurance Sidi and Aref’s mom try and impart on him ,the book pivots around the inevitable need for Aref to pack his suitcase.  As much as packing a suitcase can be a climax or a conclusion, that is what the author gives, and the reader must be content to understand that like Aref’s beloved turtles, he will have to find his way to the ocean only to return once more to Oman.

WHY I LIKE IT:

I love that it meanders and cannot be rushed.  I love the cultural warmth and the emotional depth.  While the setting is Islamic, there is no religion mentioned other than the call to prayer heard in the market place.  Quiet books usually border on boring for young adult readers, but I feel like this one doesn’t.  I am leaning toward doing it for the Junior Book Club to see if it has the emotional appeal that I think it will.  The main character is scared and unsure about the big move, feelings many children have felt.  But his way of handling it, while childish and whiny in his stubbornness to pack, also offers nuanced hope.  Aref is allowed to work through his thoughts and feelings, and while some characters rush him, his time with Sidi doesn’t feel rushed and forced.  His time with Sidi is reassuring and patient, a fictional soft place for the scary unknown.

“Talking with Sidi felt like a sky of floating words,” Aref explains. “You could say anything.”

FLAGS:

None, the book is completely clean.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

Interview with the author:  http://www.hbook.com/2014/12/talks-with-roger/naomi-shihab-nye-talks-with-roger/#_

https://www.readingtokids.org/Books/BookView.php?pag=5&bookID=00001192