When Stars Are Scattered

When Stars Are Scattered

YA Graphic novel
A picture is worth a thousand words. A good graphic novel shows
the truth of that adage. Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed's When
Stars Are Scattered is one of the finest examples of this genre I've
ever seen.
Omar spent many of his growing up years in Dadaab, a refugee
camp in Kenya. He was born in Somalia. One day he was playing under
a tree when men with guns came. Seperated from his mother, his father
dead, he made the arduous and dangerous trek to the camp.
The camp is supposed to be a temporary shelter. But when the
story begins Omar has been there seven years. Very few people get to
resettle in countries like Canada and the United States. He is always
hungry. And every day is the same, centered on chores like waiting to
get water from the camp's one source.
One day a community organizer tries to convince Omar to attend
school. It's a hard sell. Who will take care of his younger brother,
Hassan, who is nonverbal and has a seizure disorder while he is in
class. What does he need education for anyway?
What will he decide? Read the book and see.
With it's perfect blend of narrative and illustration, When
Stars Are Scattered is the perfect way to introduce children and teens
to the complexities of overseas civil war.
Omar ends his author's note with a paragraph that is highly
relevant in these pandemic times:
"Please take away from the reading of this book an understanding
that you should never give up hope. In the camp, we were given
courage by our faith to always be patient and to never give up hope.
Things may seem impossible, but if you keep working hard and believe
in yourself, you can overcome anything in your path. I hope that my
story will inspire you to always persevere."
Coauthor Victoria hopes that the book will inspire schools and
communities to help both people in refugee camps and new refugee
families in their own neighborhoods.
On a purrrsonal note, recall I had a computer crisis Friday? It has
been resolved. My computer genius son, Adam, was able to diagnose the
problem and tell me what to do. That was a life saver where I'm going
to school on line.
I had a funny experience with Tobago. I was taking a bath and had
just lathered up my hair when Tobago was in the tub behind me, almost
up to her head. But she wasn't shredding the close at paw shower
curtain to get out. When I lifted her out I didn't get a single
scratch. She just walked out of the bathroom casually rather than
tear out as if the devil was on her tail. This did not go with my
previous cat experience. Some cats tolerate or like water immersion
but most don't. I rinsed my hair, dried off, dressed, and grabbed a
towel to look for Tobago. She was nearly dry. Wet cats usually take
forever. Then I realized Tobago has seal like fur. Perhaps more
water resistant cats would find water less aversive? Perhaps I'm
studying statistics too much?
Speaking of statistics, I got the grades for my first two
assignments: 92% and 94%. (Jules)
That was a very strange experience. (Tobago).
Great big shout outs go out to my son, Adam, and my statistics
professor, Craig.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway



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