The turtle of Michigan :

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Title :

The turtle of Michigan : a novel / Naomi Shihab Nye ; illustrations by Betsy Peterschmidt.

Title:

The turtle of Michigan :

Author:

Nye, Naomi Shihab

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

325 pages : illustrations, map ; 20 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9780063014169

9780063014176

Production / Publication Information:

New York, NY : Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2022]

Summary:

Eight-year-old Aref is excited to reunite with his father in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he will start a new school, and while Aref misses his grandfather, his Sidi, he knows that his home in Oman will always be waiting for him.

Target audience note:

Ages 8-12.

Language:

English

Added Author:

Genre:

Geographic Term:

Michigan -- Juvenile fiction.

Oman -- Juvenile fiction.

Michigan -- Fiction.

Oman -- Fiction.

Subject Term:

Emigration and immigration -- Juvenile fiction.

Moving, Household -- Juvenile fiction.

Families -- Juvenile fiction.

Schools -- Juvenile fiction.

Emigration and immigration -- Fiction.

Moving, Household -- Fiction.

Family life -- Fiction.

Schools -- Fiction.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Amesbury Public Library	J FIC NYE	32114002768928	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library Children's Room	J NYE	31330009119045	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	J/NYE	33934004528809	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Boxford Town Library	J NYE	32115002150157	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Carlisle - Gleason Public Library	J NYE	32117002129876	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Chelmsford Public Library	J/FIC/NYE	31480011598312	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Essex - T.O.H.P. Burnham Free Library	J NYE	32119000471045	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Georgetown Peabody Library	J NYE	32120001390226	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	J NYE	30470002091089	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	J/FIC/NYE	31479007534612	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	J NYE	32122002934192	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	J FIC NYE	31549004929351	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library	J FIC NYE	32124002064855	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	J NYE	32128004045150	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	J NYE	31478003677722	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	J FICTION NYE	32132003321679	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	MG F NYE	31990005090274	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Wilmington Memorial Library	KIDS FICTION NYE	32136003651993	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

The stand-alone companion to National Book Award Finalist and beloved poet Naomi Shihab Nye's The Turtle of Oman. The Turtle of Michigan is a deft and accessible novel that follows a young boy named Aref as he travels from Muscat, Oman, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and adjusts to a new life and a new school in the United States. A wonderful pick for young middle grade readers and fans of Other Words for Home and Billy Miller Makes a Wish.

Aref is excited for his journey to reunite with his father in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Aref makes a friend on an airplane, wonders what Michigan will be like, and starts school in the United States. While he does miss his grandfather, his Sidi, Aref knows that his home in Oman will always be waiting for him.

Award-winning author Naomi Shihab Nye's highly anticipated sequel to The Turtle of Oman explores immigration, family, and what it means to feel at home. Carrying a suitcase and memories of Oman, Aref experiences the excitement and nervousness that accompany moving to a new home. The Turtle of Michigan is a great choice for reading aloud and a must-have for younger middle grade readers.

Illustrated in black-and-white throughout.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3--5--Aref Al-Amri has finally packed his suitcase and is journeying from Oman to Michigan in this charming follow-up to Nye's The Turtle of Oman. As it turns out, flying is thrilling for Aref, and though the journey is long, his new home in Ann Arbor, MI, offers plenty of new and exciting experiences. Aref is just as curious, insightful, and enthusiastic as he was in the previous book, and after a period of adjustment, he begins to feel quite at home. If only his beloved grandfather, Sidi, would come to visit, then everything would be perfect. Nye's imagery brings the snows and forests of Michigan to vivid life, and her characters nearly leap off the page with authenticity. Both fans of the previous book and new readers will surely relate to Aref's simultaneous enthusiasm for his new home and homesickness for Oman and Sidi. VERDICT A lovely first purchase celebrating the power of human connections.--Dana West

Kirkus Review

Transplanted from Oman to Michigan, an Arab boy adjusts to his new life while missing his beloved grandfather in this stand-alone companion to The Turtle of Oman (2014). After weeks of worry and fear about leaving his home; his grandfather Sidi; and his friends, 8-year-old Aref's finally on the plane with his mother, poised to join his father in Ann Arbor, where they will live while his parents attend graduate school. As the plane ascends, Aref's relieved, excited, and fascinated with everything during their flights to Paris, New York City, and Detroit. They settle into their small apartment, and Aref's parents attend classes at the university while he starts third grade at a diverse new school that reminds him of his old one. Aref enthusiastically savors the sights, sounds, and scents of Michigan, especially the deciduous trees, small turtles, and snow--so different from Oman's palm trees, large turtles, and desert. Gradually Aref's fear of feeling strange in Ann Arbor dissipates, but he still misses Sidi, who's not doing well without his grandson. If only Sidi could overcome his fear of new things and come visit. Nye's inimitable, poetic prose beautifully captures Aref's emotions as he meets the challenges of international travel and adjusting to a new community and culture while worrying about Sidi. Seamlessly continuing Aref's story but accessible to new readers, this novel deftly explores the meaning of home. Final art not seen. A humorous, sensitive, and poignant family-centered take on moving to a new country. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

This long-awaited follow-up to The Turtle of Oman (2014) reunites readers with an eight-year-old boy named Aref, who's from Oman. Audiences finally learn what happens to Aref after he moves with his parents to the U.S. while they attend grad school. Aref's beloved grandfather, Sidi, stays behind in Oman, and they miss each other deeply. This very gentle read captures Aref's experiences in his new town of Ann Arbor, including attending his new, inclusive school. While the story is written in the third person, Aref's notebook entries, sprinkled throughout, provide an intimate look into his thoughts and emotions. Set in a handwriting-like font, these lists and notes add to Aref's precocious and humorous voice. This slower-paced story is driven by the characters and the discoveries they make about themselves and their surroundings. The included illustrations (final artwork not available) enhance the reading experience through intricate, small illustrations on the top and bottom of each page. Enjoyable as a standalone, this accessible read offers a comfortingly warm, joyful view of moving to a new country.