On the shelf today: a story of a Syrian American family caught in immigration politics
Genre: Realistic fiction, novel-in-verse
Age Range: 10-14
Bring Kareem Between into your classroom as a...
Novel Study. Read this book in the fall with your 7th grade ELA class. You can study literary elements (such as the book's extended metaphor and the author's dynamic diction choices) while the story fosters vibrant discussions that kids care about.
Kareem feels "between" every where he goes. He's between being Syrian and American. He's between making the football team and getting cut. He's between being a helpful son and getting into trouble. Your students are "between," too. Kareem's story will make them feel seen and perhaps help them get to the other side of their between-ness.
Resource of the Week
Story Elements Escape Room
Friday. The day before Halloween. Need an engaging, fun, low-prep activity that ties into just about any middle school ELA unit? In this escape room, students use their knowledge of story elements to solve puzzles and crack the code. They escape the Voice of the Vortex by correctly decoding each riddle (and a Google Form collects and reviews all of their answers for you).
Have a good one and learn everything you can,
Hannah
