[Childrens Fiction (Ages 10-12)] [Read by Peter Ganim] In this brief novel, told in short chapters by the acclaimed poet and National Book Award finalist Naomi Shihab Nye, Aref Al-Amri says good-bye to everything and everyone he loves in his hometown of Muscat, Oman, as his family prepares to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is Naomi Shihab Nye's first novel set in the Middle East since her acclaimed Habibi. Aref Al-Amri does not want to leave Oman. He does not want to leave his elementary school, his friends, or his beloved grandfather, Siddi. 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 Siddi for help. But rather than pack, Aref and Siddi go on a series of adventures.
