When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

 

I came across When Stars are Scattered in Barnes and Noble last month and had to pick it up. I was drawn in by the cover illustration and the summary on the back, which promised a story about a young boy living in a refugee camp in Kenya. Middle grades graphic novels tend to be excellent at conveying emotional stories dealing with social issues like this, so I decided to give it a try last week.

The plot of the novel follows a young boy named Omar and his younger brother Hassan. They live in Dadaab, which is a refugee camp in Kenya. They have been there for years now, but still haven't given up hope that they will be reunited with their mother one day. They were separated while fleeing from Somalia and haven't been able to reconnect since. In the meantime, they have been placed in the charge of Fatuma, a kindly woman that acts as their foster mom.

Life in Dadaab isn't easy. The camp is massive and thousands of other people are living there, hoping for either resettlement to another country, or for their own home countries to become safe enough to return to. It can be dangerous if you wander too far out of your own section. There frequently isn't enough to eat, getting water is a lengthy and laborious chore, and basic necessities like clothing are difficult to come by. In addition to surviving in the camp, Omar has additional responsibilities. Hassan is nonverbal and developmentally delayed in some way. He has to stay home from school in order to watch him, which makes his days feel repetitive and endless.

The monotony begins to break up, however, when Omar is given the opportunity to start attending school by a community leader in the camp. He starts learning English there and begins to think about a future career as a social worker. He makes new friends and becomes an accomplished student. As the years go by, Omar continues learning and growing. He deals with new difficulties in the camp and continues caring for his brother. Eventually, an opportunity for resettlement comes, and he must use everything he's learned to try and and make a better life for himself and Hassan.

As I suspected, this book was amazing. It told Omar and Hassan's story in a way that didn't shy away from the harsh realities of life in a refugee camp, but stayed appropriate for a middle grades audience. My heart broke for these kids while reading about all they had to go through, knowing that thousands upon thousands of other children are in the same situation. I didn't know much about refugee camps prior to reading, so I learned quite a bit from this book. I always thought of refugee camps as very temporary places for displaced people. I didn't know that Dadaab is basically a town, and that people grow up, get married, have children, and eventually die there. People wait years for resettlement to other countries. Most never get the chance. I feel like this book widened my worldview and made me aware of a terribly difficult social issue that people are grappling with. This kind of story is important for kids to see, because refugee camps are not widely talked about here in America. 

The themes of the novel were beautiful as well, with family, love, and perseverance being the main focus. It would be easy in a place like Dadaab to just give up on life and sit around doing nothing all day. While Jamieson and Mohamed do show that some people in the camps do just that, the main characters show determination and bravery in very difficult circumstances. They help each other and support one another. It was very moving to read about the neighbors pulling together to help Omar keep track of Hassan, and about his friends at school forming a study group to pass their examinations. The fact that this story is true makes it so much better too. At the end of the text, there are several real pictures included of Omar and Hassan along with an update of how their lives are going now. It seriously is enough to bring tears to your eyes. 

When Stars are Scattered is an amazing read. The illustrations are meaningful, the story is emotional, and the text draws attention to a world issue that many people don't know much about. This is a perfect choice for socially conscious young readers, or anyone looking for an inspirational story told well. This is a new favorite for me now and certainly one that I will be pushing my school to purchase for the kids.  

Challenge Tally

Middle Grade Mission: 12/24

Total Books Read in 2022: 29