Grounded
By Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow, and S.K. Ali.
Published in 2023 by Amulet Paperbacks.
By Aisha Saeed, Huda Al-Marashi, Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow, and S.K. Ali.
Published in 2023 by Amulet Paperbacks.
You love animals, poetry, or social media.
You are Muslim or want to learn more about Muslim people, families, and communities.
You have ever kept the truth from your parents because you were afraid or angry with them.
You enjoy fast-paced novels with many points of view and shorter chapters.
One eventful night at the Zora Neale Hurston airport, four Muslim kids form an unlikely bond. First, they search for a missing sister. Then, the crew sets out on another mission - to find the missing airport cat, Snickerdoodle! Along their journey, each kid has the chance to face a family truth they have been avoiding. As each opens their heart to the others, they find comfort in shared experiences and learn how honesty can be freeing.
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
Why assign this book for independent reading?
The text is fairly accessible and includes topics of interest that may motivate students to read on their own, such as the social media platform NokNok, and a young boy who dreams of performing as a poet/rapper.
Students can practice independently implementing previously learned comprehension strategies.
Picture walk, make predictions, and build schema.
First, students will read the provided summary and the jacket flap to learn more about the novel's plot and characters.
Then, students will take a "picture walk" of the novel. Specifically, students will observe and develop questions about the maps included at the beginning, middle, and end of the novel.
Next, students will make predictions about characterization, plot, and theme. Students will write these predictions down to check whether or not they are accurate.
Lastly, students will read about the Rube Goldberg Machine, as it is a landmark in the airport that plays an important role in the story.
Answer teacher generated questions.
Throughout the novel, students will take notes and gather information to answer the following questions:
What is each character like at the beginning of the novel? How do Feek, Hanna, Nora and Sami change by the end of the novel?
Which characters have conflicts or disagreements? Which characters get along easily?
How do each of the main characters express or suppress their Muslim identity? Consider how they dress, speak, and think about being Muslim.
Why is it important that Feek is a Black Muslim? How does his race affect how people treat him in the novel?
Review & extend the text.
First, students will re-read their predictions from before the read the novel. Students will evaluate whether their predictions were accurate.
Then, students will listen to the Black birthday song by Stevie Wonder, as mentioned in the novel. Have students heard it before? Is this the version they sing in their family or community?
Lastly, students will read about Muslim beliefs and practices on Britannica Kids. Students will make connections between the informational text and the beliefs and practices included in the novel. In a few sentences, describe whether the characters in the novel displayed these beliefs and practices. Finally, describe any practices that were included in the novel but not in the article.
Muslim: a person who follows the religion Islam, or whose family is from a Muslim country.
Terminal: in an airport, a terminal is a building where passengers can board flights.
A domestic terminal has flights that stay in the country.
An international terminal has flights that go to other countries.
Movator: in an airport, a movator is a slowly moving, horizontal conveyor belt to help people travel short to medium distances.
Congresswoman: a female member of Congress; an important job in the government.
Squirrely: restless, nervous, or unpredictable.
Forum: an online platform where people chat and make posts, usually in support of a common cause (like animal rights).
Compare and contrast two characters in the story. Be sure to discuss their physical and emotional traits, their passions, how they practice their religion, and any other important details. Students may use a graphic organizer, such as a T-chart or Venn diagram, to help plan their writing. The final written response must be in paragraph form.