Chap 6-7
What is Mama doing to
prepare for Thaya
Jaan’s visit?
She is cooking – chopping
garlic and onions and other
vegetables to make masala.
Why is Soojin’s face
“flushed with
excitement”?
She and her family have
received the date on which
they will be sworn-in as
U.S. citizens.
What does Baba ask
Thaya Jaan to do for
Mustafa and Amina?
He asks Thaya Jaan to help
them prepare for the
Quran recitation
competition since he has
the Quran memorized.
What is the big secret
that Emily shares with
Amina and Soojin after
lunch?
She tells them that she
likes Justin, and she
wonders if he likes her
back.
Define "Nonchalant"
Nonchalant – adjective – feeling or appearing casually calm and
relaxed*
Why is Baba worried
about Thaya Jaan’s
visit?
He is worried that Thaya
Jaan will not like the way
things are in America or
how the family lives. He
says Thaya Jaan is
“traditional” and he thinks
of everything as black and
white.
What is the new name
that Soojin has decided
on?
What surprised Amina
during the prayers?
Thaya Jaan leads the
prayers and Amina is
surprised to realize that he
shares her talents for
music.
What is Amina’s
reaction to Emily’s
secret?
Amina is confused that
Soojin is interested
because she and Soojin
never cared about boys.
She also is confused about
how Emily thinks Justin is
“cute.” She doesn’t think
boys are cute.
Define "Complexion"
Complexion – noun – the natural color, texture, and appearance of a
person's skin, especially of the face
What is one reason that
Baba says that Mustafa
has to do the
competition?
Imam Malik specifically
asked for Amina and
Mustafa to participate.
It shows he is a part of
the community.
It is a good example for
the younger kids.
What is the tone of the
conversation between
Amina and Mustafa at
the bottom of page 80?
They are humorously
joking about how to get
Thaya Jaan to say he only
wants to eat burgers and
pizza on paper plates so
that they don’t have to do
so much clean up from
now on.
How does listening to
Thaya Jaan lead the
prayers affect Amina?
Amina notices that she
connects the verses in the
Quran more deeply by
hearing Thaya Jaan recite
them. She begins to wish
that she could recite the
Quran as well as he does
and even imagines herself
doing so in front of an
audience.
What does Imam Malik
announce to the class?
He announces that they are
adding a big carnival to the
Quran recitation
competition. It will even
include a dunk tank!
What are the three major plot strands of
the story currently?
Thaya Jaan coming to visit
The Quran recitation competition
Amina’s relationship with Soojin
and Emily
Why is Amina
concerned about trick
or treating?
She heard Baba say that
Thaya Jaan is traditional
and she remembers that
some people at the Center
who are also traditional
did not like Halloween.
What gifts does Amina
receive from her aunt
and cousins?
A blue shalwar kameez
Glass bangles
A small jewelry box
A wall hanging with
Allah in Arabic carved
on it
What is the “the
Incident”?
The “Incident” refers to the
time in 3rd grade when
Soojin brought kimchee in
for lunch and Emily and
Julie made fun of her
because they said it
smelled bad.
What can you infer
from the following
sentence?
“He [Imam Malik] looks
alarmed, and then tries
to relax his face.”
Imam Malik has just
noticed that Amina has
been listening to their
conversation. He thought
he was talking to Mustafa
in private, and you can
infer that he is surprised to
see Amina. He hopes that
she didn’t overhear too
much and tries to pretend
everything is normal.
Why does Soojin want to change her
name? How does Amina feel about
that?
Soojin wants to change her name to a
more “American-sounding” name like
Heidi or Jessica. Amina is upset about
this because she likes Soojin’s name
and they have a bond over their unique
and special names.
What is the significance
of the treasure chest
necklace?
The treasure chest
necklace was a gift from
Amina to Soojin because
Soojin’s name means
treasure in Korean.
What can you infer
from the following part
of the text?
“’Susan is a really nice
name.’ My eyes fall on
the treasure chest
charm hanging around
Soojin’s neck.”
Amina is saying that she
thinks Susan is a nice
name. However her eyes
looking at the necklace
show us as the reader that
she is not being entirely
truthful by saying that. The
necklace with the treasure
chest stands for what
Soojin’s name means in
Korean and Amina gave it
to her. Amina looking at
that necklace shows that
she is still having a hard
time accepting that Soojin
wants a new name.
What makes Amina
think about “the
Incident”?
Emily is sitting with them
at lunch and tells Soojin
her lunch (of Korean food)
smells good. Amina is
shocked because this is the
same Emily who made fun
of Soojin for Korean food
during “the Incident.” She
is also surprised that
Soojin seems to have
forgotten about it.
What does Mustafa
agree to do so that
Imam Malik will not tell
Baba and Mama about
what he did?
He agrees to help out with
the carnival and
participate in the Quran
competition. He also
agrees to not hang out the
boys who were smoking
anymore.
What is 3 things we
learn about Thaya Jaan
in Chapter 9?
He wears a kufi.
He has a long white
beard.
He speaks slowly in
Urdu.
He is excited to see the
family.
He looks a lot like Baba.