Book Info:
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publishing Date: September 10, 2024
Synopsis:
This heartfelt coming-of-age novel in verse tells the powerful story of a seventh grade Syrian-American boy and his struggles, big and small, as he navigates middle-school.Seventh grade begins and Kareem’s fall should be off to a great start. But he’s already fumbled it. His best friend moved away, he bungled his tryout for the football team, and because of his heritage, he was voluntold to show the new kid – a Syrian refugee with a thick and embarrassing accent – around school. Just when Kareem thinks his middle school life has imploded, the hot-shot QB promises to get Kareem another tryout for the squad. There’s a to secure that chance, Kareem must do something he knows is wrong.Then like a surprise blitz, Kareem’s mom returns to Syria to bring her aging parents out of a war zone and to the United States. But a new executive order prevents her from coming home. If Kareem could throw a penalty flag on the fouls of his school and home life, it would be for Unnecessary Roughness. Kareem is stuck between. Between countries. Between friends, between football, between parents—and between right and wrong. It’s up to him to step up, find his confidence, and navigate the beauty and hope found somewhere in the middle.
Content Warning: grief (specifically grandparent passing), islamophobia
Book Links:
About the Author:
Shifa Saltagi Safadi was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a young girl. She is a bilingual Arabic/English speaker, and is very familiar with the challenges of learning English and navigating two languages.As a mom to four Arab American children and an English teacher to Middle School students, (and an author!) she now spends her time helping kids develop a love of reading and writing too.
Author Links:
Website: https://shifasafadi.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muslimmommyblog/
Tour Schedule:
Whenever I see a Middle Grade Novel written in verse I knew that I will be put through the wringer and Kareem Between did just that and more.
Being a Brit who really has no interest in any sport but was totally bowled over by the way Shifa used the NFL to flow throughout giving a person who knows nothing explanations on how American Football is played and then entwined into the actual storyline was just plain clever writing.
I felt what Kareem was feeling and yes that meant at times I was tearing up and the issues that Kareem faced was handed so eloquently. For me books like this are so overlooked and should be recognised more.
For all the above reasons Kareem Between receives 5 stars.
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