Omar Mohamed Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Omar Mohamed is a Somalian author best known for his debut graphic novel When Stars Are Scattered, written in collaboration with Victoria Jamieson.
He spent his childhood in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya after his dad was murdered and separated from his mother in Somalia. Omar is now based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania working at a center that specializes in resettling other refugees.

Omar Mohamed is the man behind Refugee Strong Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps empower students living in refugee camps worldwide. The author still works with the Dadaab Refugee camp and visits the camp once a year.

When Stars are Scattered
For most of us, life is hard even though we got almost everything at our disposal, but what’s life like when you’re an orphan living in a refugee camp? Not only is life hard but also nearly impossible to live.

Imagine waking up every morning with a pang of hunger, genuinely knowing that change is out of reach and not knowing when you will have your next meal? That’s the reality for a young boy named Omar Mohamed, the lead character in a graphic novel authored by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed.

When Stars are Scattered is a beautifully woven novel that focuses on the sensitive and real issues that most of us are aware of but tend to forget since they don’t directly link to us.

It’s a story inspired by the true story of Omar Mohamed during his struggles as he tries to leave a refugee camp that confined him and his brother for almost all their lives. The conditions in the camp are unimaginable, from rotten food to lack of medical care.

The story kicks off with a flashback sequence when our main character narrates how he and his brother lost everything from a beautiful home to their family.
The turning point of this narrative surfaces later when Omar gets offered a chance to attend school for the first time. He’s never received any form of formal education, and to him, that’s a lifetime opportunity he cannot miss. Attending school means that he lifts himself up and his brother out of poverty and starts a new life.

But the problem is, agreeing to the opportunity to start school means leaving his brother alone in the camp with no one to take care of him. The author has a way of detailing a storyline that’s both heartbreaking and also filled with humor.

The readers get a detailed glimpse of the trauma that all refugees go through and how those little beams of hope significantly impact the refugees positively.
There are two main aspects of this book that stand out from the rest. Firstly is the theme of remaining hopeful and prioritizing family. Omar persisted through the refugee camp to hope for brighter days ahead- light at the end of the tunnel. When hardships hit, Omar often focused on the good things in his life to overshadow the hardships.

Additionally, the theme of setting his priority on the family is the main reason he considered attending school to benefit his family in the long run. Despite the terrible living conditions in the camp, Omar often prioritized family first and swore to take care of his brother.

The second aspect of the story is the African culture that remains an integral part of the story. And even though the culture forms a significant part of the story, it’s not overly done and doesn’t cause any distraction to the reader. The authors did a fantastic job balancing this aspect as it also helps the reader connect more with the main character’s life experiences.

Even in its all-dark authenticity, When Stars are Scattered is a story that’s ultimately optimistic and gives the readers the assurance that there’s always an assurance of a brighter tomorrow despite all the hardships of life.

When Stars are Scattered is a book highly recommended for kids ages 7-10 interested in reading realistic fiction. The pages are filled with bold speech bubbles, bright colors, and plenty of facial expressions guaranteed to keep younglings hooked from the first page to the last. Most importantly, the tale is centered around the life of a young boy and his family, making it quite personal for younglings.