I really enjoyed getting to know Kareem and the rest of the cast of characters felt like real people and worked in this storyline. It was a great children’s fiction novel and I was glad I got to go on this journey with them. It was a great coming of age story and enjoyed how good Shifa Saltagi Safadi’s writing was.

You know a book is extra special when you open it intending to casually browse through but end up reading it all the way through!

Written in gorgeous verse, this poignant book allows us to view the world through the eyes of Kareem, a seventh-grade Syrian American Muslim. Kareem loves football and dreams of someday making it to the NFL but first, he must make it to the school team.
So when the coach’s son offers to get him on the team in return for something that Kareem knows is wrong, he must choose between his goals and the values that define him.
Adding to the dilemma of his life at school is a new Syrian kid, whom Kareem empathizes with but is unwilling to be associated with for fear of judgment from the other kids.

On the personal front, just when Kareem’s mother travels to Syria to bring her father back to America for medical treatment, the unjust Executive Order of the Muslim Ban is enacted. Stranding her in war-torn Syria to care for her ailing father.

The author has beautifully encapsulated the life of a child caught between two worlds whose faith and morals ultimately ground him, helping him navigate the challenges of everyday life.
This book is perfect for not just Arab children, but every child who sees themselves as, or is treated as an “other,” an “outsider,” as someone who doesn’t “fit in”.

To be published on September 10, this book is a must-have for every library, whether it be at home, a school, or a public library!

Thank you, @muslimmommyblog for the ARC! I loved this book and I’m looking forward to reading more books by you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Excellent novel-in-verse about Kareem wanting to join the football team but not making it the first time. When the coach’s son bribes him into doing his homework Kareem thinks he will make the team. When Kareem’s mom asks him to show a Syrian refugee, Fadi, around at school Kareem does so reluctantly. Kareem’s mom has to go to Syria to bring her parents back to the US but runs into a problem because of the Muslim ban. Kareem wonders will he ever see his mom again? Will he end up making the football team?

Kareem is trying to fit in at school. He is a first generation Syrian-American, and he doesn’t want to stand out. He wants to be as American as everyone else. And he desperately loves football. He wants to play it, and thus he falls into a trap, because someone on the football team tries to bully him into doing his homework for him, in exchange for getting him on the team.
And that could just as well have been the major plot point.


But wait, the year this is happening is 2016. And what happened after the 45th president got into office. Yes, the Muslim ban.


So, Kareem is dealing with that, and having family stranded abroad, and everything else.


Told in blank verse, that somehow works. I usually don’t like to read books done in poetry, but this worked, and worked well. I, of course, always get frustrated with protagonists what do dumb things, because they think they will be liked more, but I’m glad that Kareem finally figured it out.


A quick read, and well written, with a lot of references to Football. And of course, the Muslim ban.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out on the 10th of September 2024.

It doesn't matter how many Word documents you read, Goggle docs you add comments to, and screen shots you revise; to hold a physical book in your hands that you have been blessed to observe from the sidelines through numerous revisions, is mind blowing. Reading the final version from page 1 to page 324, plus the backmatter, has left me at a loss for words with tears streaming down my cheeks. I truly cannot imagine the book any other way. All past drafts and storylines, were just stepping stones to get the book to this version, and as a fan of literature my whole life, to see this metamorphosis in real time has added to my respect and admiration of authors. Enough about me though, this review is of the middle grade novel in verse that tells the story of Syrian American Kareem, a loveable boy caught in between choices, siblings, friends, labels, and global acts beyond his control. He makes mistakes, he tries to make things right, and at the center of it all is his Islamic identity, love of football, and genuinely good heart. I am biased in that I have self appointed Kareem as my nephew, but even after dozens of readings, I was moved to tears three times during the course of this reading. I made my teens read the book and they loved it, and like them, we hope we get more Kareem in the future.

SYNOPSIS:

Kareem loves football, particularly the Bears, and dreams of seeing his Arabic name on an American jersey one day in the NFL. Unfortunately, he hasn't made the school team, his best and only friend Adam has moved away, and the coach's son is offering to talk to his dad for Kareem in exchange for some school help. Add in a new Syrian kid at school, his mom going to Syria to take care of his grandfather, and the fruition of Executive Order 13769 aka the Muslim Ban, and seventh grade has Kareem scrambling on every down to say the least.

WHY I LOVE IT:

The football framing, the literary inclusions, the Arabic, the Islam, all combine with such tangible heart to create a seamless read both as a compelling story and as an example of literary craft. The language is on point and intentional, that even if you don't know the character or novel referenced, the Arabic words included, or football terminology used, you will be invested in the characters and plot, and find yourself cheering for Kareem. Often debut authors show promise, but their stories have plot holes, or pacing issues, or inconsistencies, that is not the case with this book. The crumbs are there that tie everything together, the depth of the characters' personalities reveal how developed they are, and the timeline keeps the book moving forward. There are no dry or slow spots in the entire novel, it is easily read in one sitting as you find yourself nervous for Kareem, and curious how it will resolve.

Boys and girls, Muslims and non Muslims, Arabs and non Arabs, all will find themselves drawn to this book, and thinking about the characters, particularly Kareem, long after the final page is read.

FLAGS:

Some stress and anxiety with missing parents. Death, bullying, cheating, fighting, lying, racism.

TOOLS FOR LEADING THE DISCUSSION:

The book is a solid middle grade, but the quality of writing and engaging plot makes it work for a middle school book club read as well. I cannot wait to share this book widely.

A beautiful book on family, faith and football- using accessible verse to craft a story on finding your voice and standing up for the right thing

Kareem Between follows a Syrian-American boy who is more concerned about how he didn't make the football team than about politics in 2016. In fact he's so concerned about football that he'll do just about anything to make the team, even if that means possibly dubious tasks for the coach's son. His life is turned upside-down when his mother returns to Syria to help his ailing grandfather get medical care, just as the Muslim Ban starts. Kareem Between has a very well-developed football image system. Well worth reading!