When Stars Are Scattered: (National Book Award Finalist)
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
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.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0525553908
ISBN13:9780525553908
Release Date:April 2020
Publisher:Dial Books
Length:264 Pages
Weight:1.28 lbs.
Dimensions:0.9" x 5.6" x 8.2"
Age Range:9 to 12 years
Grade Range:Grades 4 to 7
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Relatable human emotions in this excellent story about kids in a refugee camp but best for 12+
Published by Molly , 22 days ago
This graphic novel didn’t shy away from the bleak realities of living in a United Nations refugee camp and included stories of children who lost their parents in violent conflicts. So while I do think we should share stories with our kids about lives that aren’t as cushy as theirs, this one had some particularly difficult parts, and I would just be careful about age appropriateness. Maybe we’d each have our own opinion here, but I feel it would be best for ages 12 and up. I’ll definitely keep it for when my kids are older because it’s a good book. I appreciate stories that bring you deeply into someone’s life in a whole different corner of this earth. I loved that the characters, male and female, expressed a lot of relatable human emotions, like frustration and joy and sadness and jealousy. I liked the storyline of the two brothers, one of them with an unnamed disability, and how they cared for each other so much. It didn’t seem like a whole lot happened in these pages, because life in a refugee camp can be pretty uneventful, but it wasn’t a boring story, and it’s worth picking up.
Favorite middle grade book I've read...and a TRUE STORY
Published by Creative Writing Teacher , 1 year ago
This graphic novel gives both heartwarming and heartbreaking insight into a childhood lived in a Somalian refugee camp, and the great hope and perseverance that can arise from dire circumstances. An excellent book!
When Stars Are Scattered Mentions in Our Blog
Make Learning Fun!
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • September 05, 2023
Got a kid who loves to learn? Or maybe you're struggling to get your little ones to embrace the idea that learning is fun! Either way, we've got you covered with this roundup of twenty-eight engaging nonfiction books covering a variety of topics and a range of ages.
20 Best Kids' Books of 2020
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • December 09, 2020
We've almost reached the end of 2020 (sigh of relief!), so it's time for a roundup of some of the best books of the year. Here are 20 of our favorite children's books that came out in 2020.
The Celebration of Diverse Voices Served Up by the 2020 National Book Awards
Published by Karen DeGroot Carter • November 16, 2020
One of the most exciting aspects of this year's National Book Awards is the diversity of the books and authors featured. From fiction and nonfiction to poetry, young people's literature, and translated works, this year's National Book Awards finalists provide a variety of perspectives.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
