Tagging Freedom

Kareem—a Syrian Muslim 13-year-old—and his friends tag buildings to protest government oppression in Damascus, Syria. Kareem’s seventh grade cousin Samira, meanwhile, paints the banners that accompany her Allansdale, Mass., school’s Spirit Squad performances. Though Sam’s friends Layla, with whom she takes Arabic lessons at the Islamic Center, and schoolmate Ellie remind Sam that Spirit Squad leader and mean girl Cat “ruined your life in fourth grade,” Sam often abandons them both to hang out with the cool kids. When peaceful protests turn violent in Syria, Kareem’s parents send him to live with Sam’s family in the U.S. Sam and Kareem have always bonded over their love of graffiti, but at school, Kareem clashes with Cat’s brother Dylan, whom Sam has a crush on; xenophobic comments from Dylan about Syria, and Sam’s complicit silence, enrage Kareem. Soon, however, the cousins must come together to counter racism in Allansdale. High-stakes conflicts in the form of Kareem’s fears for those he left behind play powerfully against adolescent challenges, such as Sam’s emotionally vulnerable angst about fitting in, delivering a strongly paced tale. An author’s note concludes. Most secondary characters read as white. Ages 8–12. (Nov.)

Correction: This review has been updated for clarity.