The Turtle of Oman

Aref is preparing to leave Oman for Ann Arbor, Michigan, where his family will live for three years. Though unhappy about the move, Aref is thrilled to spend his last few days going on small adventures with Sidi, his grandfather. Nye's story about the special bond between a boy and his grandfather and their mutual love for their country is somehow both quiet and exhilarating.

Aref and his mother are soon leaving their home in Muscat, Oman, to join his father in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they'll live for three years while his parents attend graduate school. Though unhappy about the move, Aref is thrilled to spend his last few days in Oman going on adventures with Sidi, his grandfather. The two camp in the desert and watch the flight of a trained falcon; Sidi reminds Aref that, like the falcon, he will "fly away and come back." They visit the nesting grounds of giant sea turtles, who carry their homes with them, swim far, and return "safely to the beach they remembered"; and when Aref catches a fish, he imagines the fish's relief as he returns it to the water, "where it slid home." At week's end, when Aref notes that butterflies can migrate hundreds of miles, Sidi replies, "[It's] a popular activity. Going away and coming back." Though Aref is now ready to say goodbye, readers may at this point feel quite attached to Oman, so affectionately portrayed in descriptions replete with colorful sights ("the giant turquoise Arabian Sea"), mouth-watering tastes ("curried vegetables and mounds of very fragrant rice"), and friendly interactions with fellow countrymen. Nye's story about the special bond between a boy and his grandfather and their mutual love for their country is somehow both quiet and exhilarating. jennifer m. brabander