When Stars Are Scattered

I was a lil skeptical of this when I first heard about it–the story of growing up in a refugee camp seemed at odds with Victoria Jamieson's vibe? But it does seem like she collaborated closely with Omar Mohamed to tell his story, and ultimately seems to me like a good use of her privilege to boost this story. I think the tone here is just right to make this story accessible for most American tweens who might not be as familiar with what it means to be a refugee. (Compared to like [b:The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees 36912588 The Unwanted Stories of the Syrian Refugees Don Brown https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518124719l/36912588.SY75.jpg 58671831] which sort of lacked a narrative.) It's a fine line to portray the bleakness of life in the refugee camps without making it just overwhelmingly depressing and also without erasing whatever agency the refugees do have–showing the way they came together as a community to look out for each other and share what little they do have. This is a story that would be engaging for a lot of kids who like adventure/survival type stories and stories about Kids Overcoming Things (also Kids With Disabilities) and I think will definitely open the eyes of some readers to the realities of refugee camps.