by boot | Feb 26, 2025
At the end of the book, Mustafa and Maria are friends. Come together as a class and discuss what kind of fun they will have now that they are friends. After the class has generated some ideas, have each student make up a new page in the story, drawing an illustration...
by boot | Feb 26, 2025
Marie-Louise Gay is also the creator of the popular Stella and Sam books. Select a couple books to read as a class. Once students are familiar with these different stories by the same author, come together as a class to compare and contrast the adventures and...
by boot | Feb 26, 2025
After many failed attempts, Maria finally figures out how to “break the ice” with Mustafa. What can students learn from their interactions? Have students ever seen a “new kid” who had trouble fitting in? What did they do to help? Why is it sometimes hard to help out a...
by boot | Feb 26, 2025
While it does not dwell on his turbulent past, the story hints at the violence that drove Mustafa and his family from their old home. At the same time, it focuses on where he is now and what is going on in his life as he adjusts to his new home. Every child can relate...
by boot | Feb 26, 2025
This story is told in the third person, with Mustafa as the point-of-view character. Discuss with students how other characters have different points of view. Break the class into pairs and assign each one a passage from the book. Working with an adult if necessary,...
