When Stars Are Scattered: A Graphic Novel Review

Timberdoodle recently sent me a new graphic novel to review called When Stars Are Scattered. I’m not normally a fan of that genre, so I assigned it to one of my grandsons to read for school.

But as he began narrating it back to me after every chapter, I got so drawn into the story that I decided to read it myself.

Which I did, in a single sitting. It took a couple of hours to get through the whole thing, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and learned a lot in the process.

It’s easy to understand why When Stars Are Scattered has won so many awards and was named Best Book of the Year by TIME magazine, Kirkus Reviews, the New York Times, and the School Library Journal.

The book tells the story of the years Omar Mohamed and his brother spent in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya, after fleeing Somalia for their lives.

The bright illustrations really bring Omar’s story to life and make it easier for readers to follow the action and to imagine what a refugee’s life might look like.

I guess I never realized how long many people end up living in these camps that look so temporary. The publisher released a trailer for the book, which you can watch below:

Is there someone at your house who would enjoy reading When Stars Are Scattered? It’s available through Timberdoodle for individual purchase or as part of their 2024 7th Grade Curriculum Kit. I hope you’ll check it out.

And while you’re on the Timberdoodle website, I’d encourage you to look around. We love everything we’ve ever ordered from this small family-owned company!

Be sure to sign up for their Doodle Dollar program to save on future purchases. And to read more of my Timberdoodle Reviews, follow this link.

PLEASE NOTE: As a member of the Timberdoodle blog team, I routinely receive free or deeply discounted products in exchange for writing honest reviews. Opinions expressed in these posts are 100% my own. I’ve been a happy and enthusiastic Timberdoodle customer for decades — long before I ever started blogging for their company.