BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSKareem Moussa is a twelve-year-old Syrian American boy in Chesterton, Indiana, who loves football, books, and the Chicago Bears. When his best friend Adam moves away right before middle school football tryouts, Kareem gets cut from the team and spends the school year feeling invisible. His situation gets more complicated when a Syrian refugee named Fadi joins his class, and Kareem must choose between protecting his chance at the football team by staying close to the popular quarterback Austin or standing up for the friend who shares his roots.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Kareem Between
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Kareem Between. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a mom rush off to a war torn country to bring her sick father back home?
✓ Answer
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Mama drops the news over a steaming pot of kusa that she must fly to Syria to bring her parents back. Baba can't go because the army would force him to stay, leaving Kareem and his siblings without her.
- First half
In what book does a kid yank a prayer mat out from under a boy and call it a "rag"?
✓ Answer
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Austin grabs Kareem's prayer rug in the library, dangles it out of reach, and throws it on the ground. He tells Kareem he's not American enough for the team, words that linger long after he stomps away.
- First half
In what book does a boy realize his deceit caused his mother's flight home to be delayed two weeks?
✓ Answer
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Because Kareem froze Baba's phone, his dad missed the travel agent's call to book Mama and Jido's tickets. Jido, sick in Syria, and Mama remain stuck overseas for another two weeks because of Kareem's small mistake.
- Second half
In what book does an Arab boy yell "YOU RIPPED MY PROJECT" at a classmate in the cafeteria?
✓ Answer
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Fadi confronts Kareem after Kareem tries to join his table. Although Austin actually tore the Syria poster, Fadi blames Kareem because he never stood up for him. Kareem's English words fail him in the moment.
- Second half
In what book does a family drive an hour to Chicago O'Hare Airport to protest a travel ban?
✓ Answer
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
After seeing the gathering on Instagram, the siblings convince Baba to take them. The trip becomes a powerful moment of activism as the family joins hundreds of Americans protesting the Muslim ban at the international terminal.
- Near the end
In what book does news anchor Stanley Jones catch a kid sneaking around his studio and take his dad's number?
✓ Answer
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
The news anchor lets the boys go with a warning and takes Baba's number. He hands them a sheet with information about reaching their state representative for Northwest Indiana, opening another door for activism.
