An Odyssey Honor audiobook and National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel - adapted for audio - 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 - now adapted for audio - 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 best-selling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story. This audiobook is performed by a full cast and includes music and special effects.Cast of Narrators: Faysal Ahmed as Omar Barkhad Abdi as Jeri Robin Miles as Fatuma Ifrah Mansour as Nimo and Munira Bahni Turpin as Maryam and Ladan Hakeemshady Mohamed as Tall Salan Sadeeq Ali as Tall Ali Dominic Hoffman as MichaelChristine Avila as Susana Martinez JD Jackson as Hassan and Jeris Dad Filsan Said as Nimos Mom, Sadiya, and Little Nimo Dion Graham as David Samba Schutte as Abdikarim and The Man who Finds Hassan Hana Robleh as Mama Abdi Iftin as Abdikarims Dad and Salat Susan Duerden as The Reporter and Steve West as The Cameraman with Omar Mohamed reading his Author's Note and Victoria Jamieson reading her Author's Note
When Stars Are Scattered: A Graphic Novel by Victoria Jamieson
When Stars Are Scattered is a powerful and moving graphic novel that tells the true story of two Somali refugee children, Omar and Hassan, who struggle to survive in a Kenyan refugee camp. The story is told through the eyes of Omar, who is 12 years old when the book begins. Omar and Hassan are forced to flee their home in Somalia after their village is attacked by rebels. They travel across the desert to Kenya, and we witness the many challenges they face along the way, including hunger, thirst, and violence. When they finally reach the refugee camp, they are met with more hardships, including overcrowding, lack of food and water, and disease.
Despite all the obstacles they face, Omar and Hassan never give up hope. They learn to rely on each other and the other refugees in the camp, and they find ways to make the best of their situation. They even start a school for the children in the camp, which gives them a sense of purpose and hope for the future. When Stars Are Scattered is a story about the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.
Here are some additional details about the book:
- Author: Victoria Jamieson
- Illustrator: Omar Mohamed
- Genre: Graphic novel, memoir
- Age range: 10-14 years
- Publication date: 2020
- Awards: Newbery Award Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book, National Book Award Finalist
If you are looking for a powerful and moving story about the refugee experience, When Stars Are Scattered is a must-read.
