Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 1, what does Soojin tell Amina that she is going to change about herself?

2. Who is Baba?

3. What class does Amina have with Mrs. Barton?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How did Amina end up with stage fright?

2. What does Mr. Khokar think of Mustafa’s plan to join the basketball team?

3. Why does Amina not like it when Soojin invites Emily to join their Oregon Trail group?

4. What strange comment does Amina remember Bradley making about her mother?

Paired Resource

“The Soft Bigotry of Having to Change Your Name. Because Somehow Tchaikovsky Is Easier” by Gene Park”

• This Washington Post essay explores the many reasons immigrants to America might choose to change their names and asks thoughtful questions about the consequences of doing so.
• This resource relates to themes of Racially Motivated Bullying, The Impact of Islamophobia in America, and Coming-of-Age for a First-Generation Immigrant.
• What are some of the reasons discussed in this essay that immigrants change their names? What does the author argue are some reasons an immigrant might want to keep their original name? How do less common names from European backgrounds get treated differently from unfamiliar names from non-European backgrounds? What reasons does Soojin seem to have for wanting to change her name? Which ideas in the essay would Amina most likely agree with, and why do you think this is so?