When Stars Are Scattered

This powerful graphic novel is the autobiographical story of a boy and his brother who grow up in a refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing civil war in Somalia. The brothers lost their dad in the civil war, and were separated from their mother before they arrived at the camp. Omar must take care of his younger brother, Hassan, who is nonverbal and has seizures, as he strives to do well in school and hopefully be selected to go to America someday. Omar has a thirst for knowledge and enjoys going to school. The book delves into important topics like disabilities and our perceptions of disabled people, gender inequalities and gender roles, trauma and PTSD, and poverty and food insecurity. There is also important representation of Muslims and the practice of Islam, the Somali language (the book features some translanguaging and words in Somali), and the culture of families and caretakers. Themes like activism and inequality are also deeply explored, in addition to family separation, loss, and grief.

Possible Engagements

• A deeper dive into disability studies would pair well with this text, with conversations about appropriate and inappropriate ways to talk about disability. Specific language could also be discussed, like the usage of the word "moron".

• Students could explore gender inequality in the world, but perhaps focus on Africa and Islamic countries. "I Am Malala" could be a great text to reference, since the "When Stars Are Scattered" specifically references how there are less girls in the school than boys, and how it is more difficult for them to attend (especially with the extra chores that are required of them).

• A connection to health and nutrition, and the science behind hunger and how your brain and body react to it, would perhaps give students more insight into what Omar and the refugees are going through when there is no food at camp. If possible, a field trip to Feed My Starving Children could help kids also connect food insecurity to activism, and help other communities like Omar does.

• Cultural activities like playing "Kabta" (the sandal game) as a brain break, or exploring (and possibly celebrating) the holiday of Eid with candy could allow students to more fully explore that Somali, Kenyan, and Islamic culture described in the text.

• This text could also incite discussion across texts, like "The Cat Man of Aleppo", with questions like:

  • "How does war affect people and places (and animals)?"

  • "How do people find joy in hard times?"

  • "How can you be an activist/help a cause as an individual?"

Advantages & Shortcomings