When Stars are Scattered

 Bibliography: Jamieson, V., & Mohamed, O. (2020). When Stars are Scattered. Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-725-48313-2

Plot Summary: Omar and his brother are refugees. They fled Somalia during the civil war. In escaping they lost their mother, their father had been killed. The book follows the (mostly) true story of the two brothers who lived in a refugee camp in Kenya. Omar is given the chance to go to the camp school, but he is constantly conflicted about leaving his brother, who has a disability.  Throughout their time, Omar never gives up hope of finding his mother or of resettlement in a new country. 

Critical Analysis: The story is mostly biographical, as Omar Mohamed, the main character, is one of the two writers of the book. The book is mostly accurate, but as Jamieson acknowledges in the author's note, when she took liberties with inventing characters, she still tried to remain true to Omar's experiences and memories.  The author uses simple words, so lower reading levels as well as higher level can all enjoy the book. The character development allows the reader to become emotionally tied to the characters, as we can see the hardships they are suffering both in words and images. One cannot help but wonder what we ourselves can do to help with the refugee situation. Jamieson clearly depicts the emotions and feeling of the characters in the illustrations. The pictures are simple, but colorful and the colors support the feeling of the characters, darker when the mood is dark and brighter when the mood is upbeat.  I was not expecting to enjoy my first graphic novel, but I was so enthralled I read it in one sitting. I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys history, biographies or graphic novels. 

Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews: "This engaging, heartwarming story does everything one can ask of a book, and then some."

New York Times: "Jamieson’s lively, charismatic art and Mohamed’s remarkable life story will make young readers care about Omar and Hassan...."

Awards:

Walter Dean Myers Award for Young Readers, 2021

YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults, Top 10, 2021

YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2021

Schneider Family Honor Book, 2021

Connections:

Use in any level English class. Read over Maryam's poem at the end of the book.  Discuss the meaning with students and then have students write their own poem. 

Use in a high school World History class. After finishing a unit on independence movements of the late 20th century, read and discuss the book as a class. 





Ki



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