The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye

2017-2018 MHL Nominee

Genre:  Realistic

Grade Level: 3^rd – 6th

Reading Level: 4.6 (5 points) 320 pages

Publisher: Greenwillow Books (August 26, 2014)

My Rating: 3 out of 4

Readability: Easy to read but might need to look up background of Oman.

MHL Division: Crossover

Summary: 

When Aref, a third-grader who lives in Oman, refuses to pack his suitcase for his family's move to Michigan, his mother asks for help from his grandfather, who takes Aref around the country to create memories he can carry with him to a new home.

This book was a slow read for me. It was easy to put down and therefore took me awhile to finish. I think my favorite was when the grandfather took his grandson to the camp called The Night With a Thousand Stars. It sounded like a beautiful place. The story is about a boy who is moving to Michigan from Oman and is resistant to the move. The mother asks the grandfather to spend the week before they leave with his grandson.  They go to many places around Oman and pile up good memories as well as spending quality time together. Gradually Aref accepts the fact that he will have to say goodbye for a time from Oman and his grandfather. 

The book is very poetic and quiet. It also is about a country which is relatively unknown to most kids in the United States. So, this is one of those books that lends itself to a bit of googling for background knowledge.  I think the reader's guide is fabulous at the end and this would make a good book club book in a classroom.