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When Stars Are Scattered

Author Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed
Illustrated by Victoria Jamieson, Iman Geddy
Look inside
Hardcover
$22.99 US
Penguin Young Readers | Dial Books
5.81"W x 8.5"H x 1.16"D  
On sale Apr 14, 2020 | 264 Pages | 978-0-525-55391-5
| Grades 4-7
Reading Level: Lexile GN530L
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
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  • English Language Arts > Genre: Fiction > Graphic Novels > Coming of Age
  • English Language Arts > Genre: Fiction > Graphic Novels > Literary
  • English Language Arts > Genre: Fiction > Social Themes > Emigration & Immigration
  • History > Topical History > Immigration History
  • Social Studies > Geography > Human Geography
  • About
  • Author
  • Guides
  • Awards
  • Praise
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.
Victoria Jamieson received her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a children’s book designer before becoming a full-time illustrator. She has also worked as a portrait artist aboard a cruise ship, and has lived in Australia, Italy, and Canada. She now lives with her family in Pennsylvania. View titles by Victoria Jamieson
Omar Mohamed View titles by Omar Mohamed
Iman Geddy View titles by Iman Geddy
Educator Guide for When Stars Are Scattered

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources. Many guides are correlated to Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More
Discussion Guide for When Stars Are Scattered

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences. Some young-adult specific guides may be correlated to Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More
  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
A New York Times Bestseller
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
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee

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
2021 ALSC Notable Children’s Books List
2021 Children’s Africana Book Award Honor Book
2021 Josette Frank Award Winner

2021 Notable Books for a Global Society List
2021 Kids’ Book Choice Award Winner


★ "Jamieson's characteristically endearing art, warmly colored by Geddy, perfectly complements Omar's story, conjuring memorable and sympathetic characters who will stay with readers long after they close the book . . . This engaging, heartwarming story does everything one can ask of a book, and then some.” —Kirkus, starred review

★ "With this sensitive and poignant tale, Jamieson and Mohamed express the power of the human spirit to persevere." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Tragedy is certainly present throughout the story, yet Mohamed and Jamieson’s focus on deep familial love and education works to subvert many refugee stereotypes." —Horn Book, starred review

★ "Mohamed's experience is unfortunately not unique, but it is told with grace, humility, and forgiveness. This beautiful memoir is not to be missed." —Booklist, starred review

★ "Jamieson and Mohamed together craft a cohesive, winding story that balances daily life and boredom, past traumas, and unforeseen outcomes alongside camp denizens’ ingenuity and community . . . colorist Iman Geddy’s deep purple skies drive home the title. The result of this team effort is a personal and poignant entry point for young readers trying to understand an unfair world." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "The graphic novel presentation and first person narration from the young narrator creates an immediacy and connection with the events of the story. Readers are quickly drawn into Omar’s world and worry for him and his friends." —School Library Connection

"Over the next fifteen years chronicled in this moving, slightly fictionalized graphic novel, the boys grow to manhood in an overcrowded tent city . . . Jamieson’s artwork, affectionately depicting resilient kids who manage to carve out lives in a community with few solid prospects, reprises the inviting ebullience readers will recognize from Roller Girl and All’s Faire."  —BCCB


YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

About

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.

Author

Victoria Jamieson received her BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a children’s book designer before becoming a full-time illustrator. She has also worked as a portrait artist aboard a cruise ship, and has lived in Australia, Italy, and Canada. She now lives with her family in Pennsylvania. View titles by Victoria Jamieson
Omar Mohamed View titles by Omar Mohamed
Iman Geddy View titles by Iman Geddy

Guides

Educator Guide for When Stars Are Scattered

Classroom-based guides appropriate for schools and colleges provide pre-reading and classroom activities, discussion questions connected to the curriculum, further reading, and resources. Many guides are correlated to Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More
Discussion Guide for When Stars Are Scattered

Provides questions, discussion topics, suggested reading lists, introductions and/or author Q&As, which are intended to enhance reading groups’ experiences. Some young-adult specific guides may be correlated to Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Read More

Awards

  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • WINNER | 2021
    Josette Frank Award
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • HONOR
    Schneider Family Book Award
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • FINALIST
    National Book Award Finalist
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • SELECTION
    YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION
    American Library Association's YALSA Quick Pick
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • FINALIST | 2021
    Jane Addams Children's Book Award
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • SELECTION | 2021
    IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • SELECTION | 2020
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • AWARD | 2020
    Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books

Praise

A New York Times Bestseller
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
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee

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
2021 ALSC Notable Children’s Books List
2021 Children’s Africana Book Award Honor Book
2021 Josette Frank Award Winner

2021 Notable Books for a Global Society List
2021 Kids’ Book Choice Award Winner


★ "Jamieson's characteristically endearing art, warmly colored by Geddy, perfectly complements Omar's story, conjuring memorable and sympathetic characters who will stay with readers long after they close the book . . . This engaging, heartwarming story does everything one can ask of a book, and then some.” —Kirkus, starred review

★ "With this sensitive and poignant tale, Jamieson and Mohamed express the power of the human spirit to persevere." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ "Tragedy is certainly present throughout the story, yet Mohamed and Jamieson’s focus on deep familial love and education works to subvert many refugee stereotypes." —Horn Book, starred review

★ "Mohamed's experience is unfortunately not unique, but it is told with grace, humility, and forgiveness. This beautiful memoir is not to be missed." —Booklist, starred review

★ "Jamieson and Mohamed together craft a cohesive, winding story that balances daily life and boredom, past traumas, and unforeseen outcomes alongside camp denizens’ ingenuity and community . . . colorist Iman Geddy’s deep purple skies drive home the title. The result of this team effort is a personal and poignant entry point for young readers trying to understand an unfair world." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "The graphic novel presentation and first person narration from the young narrator creates an immediacy and connection with the events of the story. Readers are quickly drawn into Omar’s world and worry for him and his friends." —School Library Connection

"Over the next fifteen years chronicled in this moving, slightly fictionalized graphic novel, the boys grow to manhood in an overcrowded tent city . . . Jamieson’s artwork, affectionately depicting resilient kids who manage to carve out lives in a community with few solid prospects, reprises the inviting ebullience readers will recognize from Roller Girl and All’s Faire."  —BCCB


YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Additional formats

  • When Stars Are Scattered
    When Stars Are Scattered
    Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, Iman Geddy
    $13.99 US
    Paperback
    Apr 14, 2020
  • When Stars Are Scattered
    When Stars Are Scattered
    Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed, Iman Geddy
    $13.99 US
    Paperback
    Apr 14, 2020

Other Books by this Author

  • All's Faire in Middle School
    All's Faire in Middle School
    Victoria Jamieson
    $22.99 US
    Hardcover
    Sep 05, 2017
  • Roller Girl
    Roller Girl
    Victoria Jamieson
    $22.99 US
    Hardcover
    Mar 10, 2015
  • All's Faire in Middle School
    All's Faire in Middle School
    Victoria Jamieson
    $22.99 US
    Hardcover
    Sep 05, 2017
  • Roller Girl
    Roller Girl
    Victoria Jamieson
    $22.99 US
    Hardcover
    Mar 10, 2015
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