Independent Reading Level: Grades 3-5
Awards: 2023 Michigan Notable Book, Lon Tinkle Award for Lifetime Achievement, and NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature

This is the followup to "The Turtle of Oman," published 8 years ago. Aref and his parents are now living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, navigating their way around the city and getting to know the neighbors in their apartment building. As in Oman, Aref is enthusiastic and positive, always open to new experiences such as art camp, hiking, snow and writing poetry. Aref models how to embrace life to the fullest. ( )

It's lovely to join Aref on the next stage of his journey, and I think both this book and The Turtle of Oman stand alone beautifully as well, so readers can have a great experience with both or either without needing the companion book as background. This is a very gentle read about a 8 year old boy relocating from Muscat, Oman to Ann Arbor, Michigan for 3 years while his parents are in grad school. I'm not sure what it says that this book is so remarkable in its joyful acceptance -- presumably Aref's family is Muslim, and yet they experience no racism or microaggressions or unkindness at all on their adventure. They are welcomed with open arms both by their new apartment complex and their extremely culturally diverse school. Aref's new teacher is a paragon of inclusivity and his parents are quick to smooth out tense moments by modeling kindness and acceptance themselves. There's also a notable blind neighbor with many wonderful stories, and a return of Aref's marvelous grandfather, Sidi. Stands out as a story that celebrates all the little explorations and discoveries that children make in their day-to-day adventures.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )