 | Kareem Between Author: Safadi, Shifa Saltagi | |
| Price: $8.19 | ||
Summary:
From failed football tryouts to helping the new Syrian refugee student, seventh-grader Kareem attempts to navigate the social complexities of seventh grade, which are further complicated when his mother is unable to return home from Syria due to an executive order.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (08/15/24)
School Library Journal (+) (00/10/24)
Booklist (09/01/24)
The Hornbook (00/11/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 09/01/2024 Syrian American Kareem sees the world through the lens of football, and he’s fumbling hard when he doesn’t make the middle-school football team. He ends up agreeing to do the homework of the quarterback in hopes of making the spring squad, which puts his honesty and friendship with a new kid (a refugee) in school on a path toward trouble. When his mother travels back to Syria to bring Kareem’s grandfather to the U.S., she gets caught up in the 2017 Muslim Ban. As Kareem’s life plunges into chaos, he struggles—both on and off the field—to know who he is as a student, a friend, and a son. The story is told in quick-paced verse threaded with NFL facts that relate to the poems and provide a unique insight into his thoughts, and Kareem’s voice effectively expresses the lived experiences of many children of immigrants in a post-2016 world while also incorporating classic middle-grade drama and abundant literary allusions. For fans of Kwame Alexander, Daniel Nayeri, and sports-heavy books with broad appeal. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.
