When Stars Are Scattered - Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Omar (whose real-life story this is) and his developmentally delayed brother Hassan live in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya, with thousands of other Somali refugees. His days are filled with playing soccer with a ball of waded-up plastic bags, avoiding trouble from the kids from neighboring blocks, and taking care of Hassan. When a community leader suggests school, Omar is hesitant, but finds that his brain thirsts for knowledge. Education brings with it the one-in-a-million miracle chance that he might be selected for resettlement in America or another country, so he continues his education. The story covers several years, as Omar goes through desperate hopes to bitter disappointment to acceptance. His friends who are girls have it worse, as many Somalis feel education is wasted on girls, and one of them is married off and pregnant very young, dashing her hopes of emigrating and becoming a doctor. This is a poignant and deeply resonant story of survival, loss, and hope. Jameison, of Roller Girl fame, does a superb job of conveying Omar's struggles with disappointment and guilt. It's extraordinarily well executed, just a perfect graphic novel that should be required reading in schools and universities. [5]
