Shifa Saltagi Safadi’s 2024 middle grade novel in verse, Kareem Between, follows the title character as he navigates the social dynamics of middle school amid the political landscape of the United States and Syria in 2017. Embracing his love of football while grappling with his identity, Kareem’s journey illuminates themes of True Friendship Versus Popularity, Courage Emerging from Failure, and The Crisis of Family Separation. Kareem Between won the 2024 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

This guide refers to the 2024 G. P. Putnam’s Sons print edition of the text.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of bullying, racism, religious discrimination, illness, and death.

Plot Summary

With NFL facts interspersed between poems with football-related titles, the narrative begins during summer tryouts for Kareem’s middle school football team. His best friend has moved away, and he feels alone. Distraught after a poor tryout, Kareem draws inspiration from his beloved Chicago Bears, but he does not make the team.

When school begins, the coach’s son and quarterback of the team, Austin, offers friendship and a chance to make the team, but only if Kareem, whom Austin calls “K.,” writes an essay for him. Despite his uneasiness about cheating, Kareem agrees and soon finds himself doing much more than one essay.

Meanwhile, at home, Kareem finds comfort in his family, especially his mother (“Mama”) and her Syrian cooking. On Fridays, the family prays together and reads from the Quran. Afterward, the family goes to an ice cream shop. One night, an older woman approaches Jameelah, Kareem’s older sister, and tells her that she is beautiful but that she need not wear her hijab here, in America. Standing up for herself, Jameelah insists that she wants to wear it. Kareem’s parents refuse to talk about the incident. Then, they go to the Masjid, the mosque, to volunteer sorting donations for those in need.

Over winter break, Kareem does not hear from Austin and worries that he will never play on the football team. Every Sunday, he speaks haltingly in Arabic with his family in Syria. Jido, his grandfather, does not mind and enjoys hearing about American football. Because Jido sounds tired, Kareem worries about his grandfather’s medical care in Syria; the war there has left many places without electricity and doctors.

When a Syrian refugee family arrives, Mama encourages Kareem to look after the boy, Fadi. Kind and polite, Fadi is grateful for Kareem’s advice and rides with him to school the next day. As they arrive, Fadi is intercepted by Austin, who mocks him. Instead of defending Fadi, Kareem simply walks into school, fearing that he will be disliked if he stands up to the bully. Austin continues to torment Fadi and demand homework from Kareem.

Meanwhile, Mama reveals that she must go to Syria to get Jido and Tete, her mother, and bring them back to the United States. Because of the war, it is not safe for Kareem’s father (“Baba”) to go, as he could be conscripted. Once she leaves, life becomes chaotic as Baba tries to manage everything on his own.

One day after school, Fadi and Kareem go to the library to work on math posters together. There, they meet their classmate Jerry, who loves football and plays catch with Kareem. In school, Austin rips Fadi’s poster. When Kareem does nothing, Fadi and Jerry think that Kareem is responsible and are furious.

Soon after, Austin steals Kareem’s prayer mat and tells him that he is not American enough to play on the football team. The two boys fight in the gym. To keep his father from finding out, Kareem hides Baba’s phone in the garage freezer. By the time Baba finds and defrosts it, he has missed an opportunity to book a flight home for Mama, Jido, and Tete.

On a call with Jido, Kareem worries that his grandfather sounds more tired than usual. Kareem tries to make amends by sitting with Fadi and Jerry at lunch, but they do not accept him. Soon afterward, Kareem learns that the president has signed an executive order banning citizens of multiple Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The order includes Syria, so Mama, Jido, and Tete are stuck there. Kareem knows that the situation is all his fault.

Jameelah and Kareem persuade Baba to take them to the airport in Chicago for a rally against the ban. Inspired by the diverse crowd, everyone is hopeful. While at the rally, however, Baba receives news that Jido has died, and they are devastated. Later, Kareem tears down his Chicago Bears poster.

At school, Austin torments Kareem, but the latter finally stands up for himself, exposing Austin’s demands that Kareem do his homework. Coach is furious. When Austin insults him the next day, Kareem again stands up for himself, and Fadi notices. One day, in study hall, Coach invites Kareem to play on the team, but Kareem struggles to accept, distraught over Jido’s death.

On the way home, Kareem writes a letter of apology to Fadi in Arabic and gives it to his friend. Later, Baba reassures Kareem that Jido’s death is not his fault. Then, Baba receives a phone call saying that Mama and Tete have gone missing after government agents visited their house in Syria.

Distraught, Kareem does not want to watch the Super Bowl. However, Fadi and Jerry come over to keep him company, and he realizes what true friendship is. Inspired, Kareem borrows Jameelah’s phone to post an Instagram video about his mother’s disappearance. Unfortunately, it gets only 25 views. Refusing to give up, Kareem and his friends sneak into the local news station to record a message about his mother and the Muslim ban. They get caught by Stanley Jones, the news anchor, but after hearing Kareem’s story, Jones agrees to help.

While waiting for Jones to conduct research, Kareem and Baba email state representatives about the ban and their family’s situation. That night, Mama calls to say that she and Tete fled to Lebanon. Soon, the ban is lifted, and Mama and Tete fly home. Nevertheless, Kareem goes on the news with Jones to talk about the trauma the ban has caused his family and many others.

In the spring, Kareem plays quarterback in a scrimmage and has a great game. He realizes that being both Syrian and American is not a problem; instead, it is something worth celebrating. He remembers advice from Jido and understands that the most valuable part of a team is when everyone works together.