We were absolutely blown away talking to the truly inspiring, passionate human that is THE Shifa Saltagi Safadi @muslimmommyblog 🤩👑✨️

We can not wait for you all to tune in!!

But first, here's more about Shifa:

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.

Shifa is the author of National Book Award Finalist KAREEM BETWEEN (Putnam/Penguin Kids 2024), the AMINA BANANA chapter books (Putnam/Penguin Kids 2025), picture book THE GIFT OF EID (Holiday House 2025), and more coming!

She has previously three published picture books (SPELL IT LIKE SAMAR, HEAVEN AT MAMA’S FEET, and PEPPERONI, PITCHES, and OTHER PROBLEMS) with Muslim publisher Ruqaya’s Bookshelf.

https://shifasafadi.com/

About Shifa's latest book KAREEM BETWEEN:

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 catch: 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.

Find Shifas books here: https://shifasafadi.com/books/

Add Shifas books to Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203608470-kareem-between

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