Alexa’s dad’s record player is a symbol of Alexa’s loss and her ongoing connection with her father. When Alexa’s dad died, Alexa’s mom wanted to get rid of the record player, but her brother Lenny urged her to give it to Alexa instead. Her dad had “a huge music collection, and he was always fixing the old-fashioned record player,” playing “the big black discs on it,” and “polish[ing] the large golden sound horn properly” (34). Alexa’s memories of her dad, therefore, feature the record player. When she thinks of her dad, she thinks of his love for music. This is why she often likes to play one of his records when she’s feeling sad or alone. The record player reminds her of her dad; playing his records eases her sadness and helps her to feel his presence.

Ahmet’s backpack is a symbol of his identity and his refugee experiences. When Alexa first notices Ahmet’s backpack, she can’t understand why he doesn’t get a new one. The bag is tattered and torn, but Ahmet seems attached to it. Alexa particularly notices how much he loves the backpack when he gets “more upset about the Great Baked Beans Bag Trap than any of the other” pranks Brendan the Bully plays on him (96). Alexa thinks that he should just throw the bag out now that it smells horrible, but Ahmet continues carrying it to school even after the bean incident.

Ahmet’s attachment to the bag symbolizes his attachment to his life in Syria. He later draws himself wearing the backpack during his flight from Syria, and he tells Alexa and her friends that his dad gave him the bag. As with Alexa’s record player, Ahmet’s backpack reminds him of his absent father and the life he had before he experienced so much loss.