A huge Chicago Bears fan, Kareem would love to play on the seventh grade football team. Unfortunately, his name doesn't show up on the final roster after tryouts. There might be a second chance though, when the popular coach's son tells Kareem he might be able to get him another tryout. The only catch is he expects Kareem to do his homework for him.
Kareem's life seems to bounce from one mess to another. He tries to welcome a new Syrian kid with a heavy Syrian accent, but that just acts as a reminder to everyone that Kareem is Syrian-American. He gives up finding a table in the cafeteria, so he heads to the library most days. It's easier for his daily prayers there anyway.
Things at home become complicated when Kareem's mother must return to Syria to help his grandparents escape from the war-torn country and come to the United States. His grandfather is sick and needs the care he can get here in the states. Just after his mother arrives in Syria to help them, President Trump declares a Muslim ban that restricts people from certain countries from entering the U.S. Will Kareem's family ever be together again?
In KAREEM BETWEEN author Shifa Saltagi Safadi brilliantly portrays an example of living in the U.S. as a Syrian-American during the first Trump administration. Kareem experiences the fear of having his mother kept from the family as she attempts to bring her own parents to safety. Kareem describes the protests at the airport in Chicago where thousands marched against the Muslim ban.
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