Shooting Kabul

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. What item does Mariam own that is “the envy of all her friends?”

2. Why does Habib decide the family must leave Afghanistan?

3. Which banned item do Fadi and his family hide in shopping bags under vegetables?

4. Who is the Northern Alliance?

Short Answer

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

1. Describe Fadi’s family members. What are their names and how old are they in relation to Fadi?

2. Where did Habib and his family live before Afghanistan? Why did they previously make the decision to return to Afghanistan?

3. What position does the Taliban offer Habib? Explain the context for this decision, as well as why they have decided to ask him.

Paired Resource

Soviet and Taliban Rule in Afghanistan

• An overview from NPR regarding 40 years of political crisis in Afghanistan
• Connects to the theme of The Taliban’s Transition From Afghanistan’s Savior to Its Oppressor
• Briefly summarize the different political regimes that controlled Afghanistan. How have these regime shaped the country? In this section of the novel, which regime controls Afghanistan? How does this shape the lives of the characters?

Chapters 4-7

Reading Check

1. Who greets Fadi and his family at the airport in San Francisco?

2. Why did Zafoona decide to homeschool her children in Afghanistan?

3. What is unique about the city of Fremont, California?

4. What is the name of Fadi’s school in the U.S.?

5. What does Fadi receive from school to use in the cafeteria?

Short Answer

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

1. Which are some of the countries that historically invaded the region of Afghanistan? Describe why, according to Fadi’s family, this history of conquest is important to the culture of Afghanistan.

2. List some of the ways in which Fadi’s family are searching for Mariam. What is one possible reason why she has not been found yet?

3. Where does Noor work? What is Fadi surprised to see her doing with her paycheck?

4. In this set of chapters, both Zafoona and Noor share whose fault they believe it is that Mariam is gone. How do their feelings compare with Fadi’s?

Paired Resource

“Little Kabul” in Fremont, California

• A brief overview from The New York Times of the “Little Kabul” neighborhood  (Subscription may be needed for viewing)
• When did “Little Kabul” become a growing neighborhood for the Afghan community? Link this immigration to an event that occurred in Afghanistan.

Chapters 8-11

Reading Check

1. Which activity helps Fadi forget about his troubles?

2. Why does Fadi want to make money?

3. What does Fadi see Noor doing at her work?

4. What secret does Habib reveal to Fadi in Chapter 11?

Short Answer

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

1. What does Fadi overhear Habib, Zafoona and his relatives discussing in Chapter 8? Describes his parents’ reactions to the news.

2. Describe Fadi’s first day in art class. Who does he work with? How does he find the class overall?

3. Why is Fadi particularly interested in the photography contest’s prize?

4. Fadi concocts a plan to leave the U.S. in Chapter 10. Describe the nature of this scheme, as well as the outcome.

Paired Resource

“Afghan Boy Retreats Into Silence After Separation From Family”

• This UNHCR story discusses a young Afghan boy who withdrew into silence after being separated from his family.
• How does Farzad's story compare or contrast with Mariam's? What parallels can you draw between this resource and the novel? 

Chapters 12-16

Reading Check

1. What does Noor give Fadi?

2. What is the agreement that Anh and Fadi reach in photography club?

3. What are the “three key ingredients of a photo?”

4. What is the message that the imam shares from a Qur’anic verse in Chapter 15?

5. What happens to Mr. Singh, the ice cream truck driver?

6. According to Habib, what are two emotions that “make people do terrible things?”

Short Answer

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

1. Describe the major world event that happens on the first day of photography club.

2. Describe what Fadi overhears in the grocery shop in Little Kabul. Why is this information especially relevant for Afghanistan?

3. Compare and contrast how Fadi’s peers view him before and after the major world event.

4. Describe Fadi’s response to the Barbie dolls he sees in the Toys “R” Us Store. Why does he react this way?

5. What is Fadi’s reasoning for taking a photograph of Fillmore Street?

Paired Resource

"Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11”

• The Pew Research review of US public opinion post-9/11
• Connects to the theme of 9/11 and Islamophobia in the United States
• How has the US public opinion of Muslims changed since 9/11? Is there still Islamophobia in the United States?

Chapters 17-21

Reading Check

1. What happens to Fadi’s camera in Chapter 17?

2. Where does Fadi and his family go for Habib and Zafoona’s anniversary?

3. What happens to Fadi and Ike because of their fight?

Short Answer

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

1. Who does Fadi choose as the subjects for the new entry to the contest? Describe his reasoning for this choice.

2. Fadi is worried when a group of Afghan kids initiate conversation with him. Why is he worried? What do they want to talk to him about?

3. What news does Fadi and his family learn in Chapter 21?

Paired Resource

Pashtun Ethnic Group

• Britannica’s overview of the Pashtun ethnic group in Afghanistan.
• What are the different ethnic groups of Afghanistan? Which group is Fadi’s family from?

Chapter 22-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. What is the outcome of the photo competition?

2. What does Ms. Bethune suggest to help Fadi get to Peshawar?

3. What announcement does Fadi decide to make to his family as he sits on the train to San Francisco?

4. Who does Fadi realize Anh is similar to?

Short Answer

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

1. Describe the confrontation between Fadi’s peers and the two bullies in Chapter 23. What is the outcome of this confrontation?

2. What is Ms. Bethune’s reaction to Fadi’s story about Mariam? Is Fadi surprised? Why or why not?

3. Who does Fadi meet at the Exploratorium? Describe the valuable piece of information that Fadi learns by accident from this person.

Recommended Next Reads 

Saving Kabul Corner by N.H. Senzai

• This 2015 companion book to Shooting Kabul centers on feuding Afghan families in Fremont, California.
• Shared themes include The Taliban's Transition From Afghanistan's Savior to Its Oppressor and 9/11 and Islamophobia in the United States.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

• This 2003 novel centers on an Afghan boy's journey from Kabul to the US.
• Shared themes include The Taliban's Transition From Afghanistan's Savior to Its Oppressor and 9/11 and Islamophobia in the United States.
• The Kite Runner on SuperSummary