When Stars Are ScatteredBy Victoria Jamieson and Omar Hassan
When Stars Are Scattered is a warm and welcoming graphic novel that introduces us to two brothers, Omar and Hassan, who are from Somalia but staying in a Kenyan refugee camp after their father dies in the Somalian Civil War and they are separated from their mother. This is based on a real-life story that the author, Victoria Jamieson, wrote after collaborating with one of the brothers, Omar. Omar is the one who takes care of his younger brother because Hassan has special needs, and their story continues on for years in this novel until Omar is nearly an adult. Through Omar’s narration, we find out how traumatic their lives have been, and how he wants to have hope for the future, enough for both brothers. Ages 9-12.