The Turtle of Oman

I've had The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye on my to-read list for awhile and recently got it on Kindle from the library. The book description says, "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."

This was a beautiful read. I don't even know what it was, but it was just a gentle, happy book that addressed the hard things Aref was facing by showing the love and wisdom of his grandfather. I felt like the book was just so beautifully written, and then I saw at the end that the author was a former Young People's Poet Laureate, which makes a lot of sense. I just loved Sidi (Aref's grandfather) and the adventures they went on and the things they experienced and commented on. I also loved the introduction it gave me to Oman and their culture. This was just such a unique read, and I can't quite put my finger on why. But I really liked it.

* * * (3/3 = Loved it)