kelly_e's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

5.0

Title: When Stars Are Scattered
Author: Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed
Genre: Graphic Memoir
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: April 14, 2020

T H R E E • W O R D S

Intimate • Heartbreaking • Compelling

📖 S Y N O P S I S

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.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I was looking for moving graphic novel with depth and after doing a little research I managed to compile a short list of options. List in hand I made a trip to my local library and surprisingly they had a copy of When Stars Are Scattered on the shelf, which made my choice easy.

This graphic novel is based on Omar Mohamed and his brother's time spent in a refugee camp in Kenya. It details the day-to-day life of a child refugee through direct dialogue and thought and stunning artwork. Intended for younger readers, this is an important read for readers of all ages. While this is one single story out of millions of stories, it is brought to light in a sensitive manner without shying away from the difficult truths.

Overall, When Stars Are Scattered opened my eyes to everyday life in refugee camps. Omar story is one of resiliency and hope, while I know this isn't always the case. It is also a reminder life isn't all bad even in the most harsh of circumstances. For instance, Omar found hope through friendship, education, and responsibility.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers of all ages
• social studies teachers

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Be like a star. Shine your light. Shine your story. For stories will lead us home."

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alexcooper88's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

5.0


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kshertz's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Wow. This book just reminds you of life happening worlds away and helps to understand others lives. It puts into perspective refugee camps and stories. The things that people have been through even while being in these large camps. It’s even more amazing to remember this is a true story. There’s so much to take away from this book. I hope everyone reads it.

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waterviolite's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0


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readandfindout's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

4.5

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 4.5 stars
Perspective: 4.5 stars
Art: 4 stars

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suspiciouspinecone's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

Pretty good, a lot of my problems were no longer applicable when I realised it was a true story.

Also, really good disability rep. 

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shanapike's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0


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celey's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.25

Beautifully combines the truth of what it means to live as a child in a refugee camp with a powerful narrative of Omar, Hassan, and a community of other characters all hoping for escape. 

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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

A beautiful story of two young men and their hope for a better life, this graphic novel captures the essence of what it means to live in a refugee camp. These two young boys were torn from their parents because of the violence in Somalia and sent to a refugee camp in Kenya. After many years of hardship, they’re able to resettle in the United States. This young adult book gives us insights into how refugees experience life and life and the ways that we might focus our energies to help them have better experiences. 

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megyeager's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

This book was heartbreaking and so beautiful. The story was told so honestly and authentically. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age. This is a great book to use to introduce kids to a serious topic like refugee camps and what it means to not have a safe place to go back to.

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