by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
“She could not remember a time when she did not believe she was on the edge of disaster … she was never, ever sure that the future would not be terrifying” (page 159). Ask students to find and discuss other sentences or passages that emphasize the struggles that...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
Ask students to work in pairs to explore Parvana’s relationship with her mother. They could present their findings through an enacted scene from the novel or an improvised scene (with a written introduction), an exchange of emails, monologues, an essay or a letter to...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
Have students work in groups to draw a floor plan or make a model of the school, using details from the book. Have them include another room or feature for a program or resource that they think would benefit the students. Also have them write a description of the...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
Explore the author’s style and techniques by having small groups of students each search the novel for a different area of focus. Examples include humor, irony, simplicity and directness of language, suspense, metaphors and symbolism, references that audiences can...
by Reina Chaiekh | Feb 26, 2026
Ask students to imagine that Parvana is receiving an award for her work in helping Afghan women and children. Students write the acceptance speech she might give. English Language Arts
