Purchase to Support Our Program

National Book Award Finalist
Schneider Family Book Award, Middle School Honor
YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens
YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
Walter Award Winner (Younger Readers)
Amazon Best Children’s Book of 2020
New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book
TIME Best Book of the Year
School Library Journal Best Book of 2020
Kirkus Best Children’s Book of 2020
NYPL Best Book for Kids
NPR’s Book Concierge Pick
Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Finalist
Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book

When Stars Are Scattered

Written by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson
Illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, Iman Geddy (Color)
Published by Dial Books

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.

Primary ISBN: 9780525553915
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback., Audiobook
Graphic Novel, Age 09 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Kenya (Dadaab Refugee Camp)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Refugee

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

Click here for details about how we define our titles.

Engagement Projects & Resources:

Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.

EXPLORE Educator’s Guide
Source: Publisher