Naomi Shihab Nye Shares Stories of Oman with Moffet Students
[highlight]On December 12, 2014, acclaimed poet/author NAOMI SHIHAB NYE visited John Moffet Elementary School to discuss her latest book, The Turtle of Oman.[/highlight] In the Fall of 2014, thanks to the generous support of a few friends of Al-Bustan, we gave a copy of The Turtle of Oman to each 4th and 5th grader at Moffet School. It was a special treat for those students to meet the author at their school in December. Ms. Nye discussed her longtime fascination with Oman and how this book about a young boy named Aref came to fruition over 6 years.The assembly opened with students in Al-Bustan's After-school Arab Arts program performing a short medley of Arabic songs and drum solos, followed by Ms. Nye reading excerpts from the book and sharing stories about Oman and her writing process. She had the students totally engrossed and by the end they were anxious to ask her many questions, ranging from when will she write the sequel about Aref once he arrives in America (her answer, "I think YOU should write the sequel"), to her fascination with languages and the places she has traveled to.Following the question and answer period, the students waited eagerly to have their copy of the Turtle of Oman signed by Ms. Nye. As the students stood in line to greet her personally, they were jittery with excitement and had even more questions and comments for Ms. Nye as she signed each book, always smiling and encouraging them to continue reading.