FREE AS THE DESERT WIND ...a story of an unusual friendship, in Africa... Twice a year, Omar's father leads large herds of camels from the Sudan to the camel market in southern Egypt. It's a difficult desert journey of twenty days, with many hazards--heat and cold, sandstorms, bandits, thirst . . . and always, loneliness. Nonetheless, twelve-year-old Omar longs to make the trip and prove that he is nearly a man. At last he gets the chance. But when he makes friends with one of the young camels, Omar realizes that a person may have to make difficult choices between important things: obedience--versus following what his heart tells him. Carefully researched, including review by an American woman who actually accompanied a camel drive, this book describes an age-old aspect of life in northeastern Africa that still goes on today. It offers something new for students (grades 3 to 6) learning about Africa and desert life--and an exciting story, with many lively illustrations by an Egyptian artist. Paper. Available from Amideast (www.amideast.org, "educational resources"), as well as Amazon.com and bookstores. SOME QUESTIONS TO TALK ABOUT . . . Would you like to go on a desert journey like Omar's? What do you think would be the most difficult part? And what might you like best? Are there times when your emotional attachment to someone, or a place, makes you do something you know you shouldn't? What about the fate that awaits most of the camels--how do you feel about that? |
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