Middle grade books are something I really enjoy reading, and I keep saying I need to read them more. So it’s also fun when I get to interview the author of a new middle grade book. Today is my stop of the book tour for Kareem Between and it’s being hosted by TBR Beyond Tours. Keep on reading to find out more about this book and to read my interview with Shida Saltagi Safadi!
Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publishing Date: September 10, 2024
This heartfelt coming-of-age novel in verse tells the powerful story of a seventh grade Syrian-American boy and his struggles, big and small, as he navigates middle-school.Seventh grade begins and Kareem’s fall should be off to a great start. But he’s already fumbled it. His best friend moved away, he bungled his tryout for the football team, and because of his heritage, he was voluntold to show the new kid – a Syrian refugee with a thick and embarrassing accent – around school. Just when Kareem thinks his middle school life has imploded, the hot-shot QB promises to get Kareem another tryout for the squad. There’s a to secure that chance, Kareem must do something he knows is wrong.Then like a surprise blitz, Kareem’s mom returns to Syria to bring her aging parents out of a war zone and to the United States. But a new executive order prevents her from coming home. If Kareem could throw a penalty flag on the fouls of his school and home life, it would be for Unnecessary Roughness. Kareem is stuck between. Between countries. Between friends, between football, between parents—and between right and wrong. It’s up to him to step up, find his confidence, and navigate the beauty and hope found somewhere in the middle.
Content Warning: grief (specifically grandparent passing), islamophobia
Book Links
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
Author Interview
What inspired you to write Kareem Between?
Kareem Between came from my whole heart! It is a book written from my feelings of growing up Syrian in America, and navigating the feeling of being a part of two worlds, and yet not fitting in fully in either. And realizing as an adult, that really, the belonging I was looking for, was inside my heart. I needed to accept myself- embrace the between fully, and be okay with all the parts of who I am!
What has been the favorite part of your publishing journey so far?
HEARING GOOD REVIEWS!! I love when readers reach out and tell me they loved Kareem Between, and some part of me is still in shock? This idea that I worked on, wrote words out, actually turned into a book! This surreal feeling is something I am soaking in completely, full of gratitude for every moment!
If you were a character Kareem Between, what kind of character would you be?
I think I am definitely a lot like Kareem, but I wish I was more like his sister Jameelah! Jameelah is just a bossy, powerful, confident queen- and I admire her no-nonsense strength and bravery in facing the world!
Describe Kareem Between in five words or less.
Kareem Between is a story with: Hope, Courage, Belonging, Football, and READING!
What is your favorite quote from Kareem Between?
My favorite quote is: “Hope is alive as long as you look for it”!
What do you hope readers take away from your story?
I hope readers learn that they matter. Their voices, their heritage, their words, their feelings- THEY matter!
Could you give us 5 random facts about Kareem Between (think the story, writing, publishing, anything that comes to mind)?
Five random facts:
- Kareem Between took me two years to write and draft!
- Kareem Between is my third novel that I actually wrote, two others that I wrote have never even been out of my computer or seen! Writing takes persistence!
- Kareem Between is a book written in verse, which is poetic, and perfect for reluctant readers!
- Kareem Between is in audio version, and the audiobook narrator Peter Romano did a wonderful job! He is Syrian American too!
- My son gave a copy of Kareem Between to an actual BEARS player recently!
Tour Schedule
If you’re curious about Kareem Between after reading this interview, click here for the tour schedule. Amazing bloggers and bookstagrammers are posting about this book throughout the week.
About the Author
Shifa Saltagi Safadi was born in Syria and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a young girl. She is a bilingual Arabic/English speaker, and is very familiar with the challenges of learning English and navigating two languages.
As a mom to four Arab American children and an English teacher to Middle School students, (and an author!) she now spends her time helping kids develop a love of reading and writing too.
Author Links
Website
TikTok
Instagram
Goodreads
So that’s my tour stop for today! A big thank you to Shifa for taking time to answer my questions. And I hope you enjoyed reading this interview.