Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Victoria Jamieson (@JamiesonV) and Omar Mohamed (@dantey114) share WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED, a graphic novel based on Omar's experience as a Somalian refugee Kenya. Omar's story is one that you won’t soon forget. It is a story about family and about surviving. It’s a story about education and advocating for yourself. In Omar’s experience, he says “the worst part about being in a refugee camp is that it’s monotonous and boring.” This is where Victoria’s skills as a storyteller and cartoonist shine. The comic has a strong sense of setting, helping give purpose to all of it’s characters and how their lives intersect. WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED is the first book since safe-at-home that I’ve connected over with a student. Emma, one of my 3rd graders, share it over Zoom during one library class and we each immediately fell into a moment of book love as we realized we were each reading the same story. Emma and her sister Hannah are mentioned throughout this conversation, as well as the amazing ways these readers were touched by Omar’s story, a glimpse of how readers are connecting with the book across the country. I’ll end with Omar’s words, as they’ve been on my heart since recording this interview. “The simple thing we do for a human being may change their entire life.” You can access even more information about this book and its author by visiting www.matthewcwinner.com/blog. Get a copy of this book and support independent bookstores (and this podcast) by visiting our BookShop Store.   Thank you to this week's sponsor: Bookclub (Patreon) Libro.fm And to the generous support from our Patrons. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/childrens-book-podcast/message