When Stars Are Scattered

Victoria Jamieson and Others

- 4.7 • 97 Ratings

- $9.99

- $9.99

A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.

Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to New York Times Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story.

APPLE BOOKS REVIEW

This graphic novel makes the experience of growing up in a refugee camp feel both shockingly real and unexpectedly relatable. Author Omar Mohamed collaborated with artist Victoria Jamieson to detail his experiences as a Somali refugee living in Kenya with his younger brother, Hassan. Mohamed’s memories form an achingly detailed portrait of everyday life in an unsettled temporary encampment where terrifying challenges and mundane activities collide. We were captivated by Mohamed’s intimate relationship with the nonverbal Hassan—and by the heartbreaking decisions he faces when it comes to charting his own future. When Stars Are Scattered provides compelling insight not only into displaced peoples’ struggle for survival, but into the ways that our choices affect the lives of the people we love.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY MAR 2, 2020

Based on coauthor Mohamed's childhood after fleeing Somalia on foot with his younger brother, this affecting graphic novel follows the brothers' life in a Kenyan refugee camp. Though loving foster mother Fatuma cares for the boys, Mohamed watches out for his largely nonverbal younger brother, Hassan, who experiences occasional seizures, and is fearful of leaving him even to attend school. Mohamed longs to find their biological mother, and like nearly everyone in the vast camp waits for a life-changing, seemingly arbitrary UN interview that will determine whether the boys will be resettled, perhaps in the U.S. or Canada. Jamieson and Mohamed together craft a cohesive, winding story that balances daily life and boredom, past traumas, and unforeseen outcomes alongside camp denizens' ingenuity and community. Expressive, memorable characters by Jamieson (Roller Girl) work and play against backdrops of round-topped UN tents, while colorist Iman Geddy's deep purple skies drive home the title. The result of this team effort is a personal and poignant entry point for young readers trying to understand an unfair world. Back matter includes photographs of the brothers and authors' notes. Ages 9 12.

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