Status
Checked out
Due Apr 22, 2024
Collection
Publication
Penguin LCC US (2020), Edition: 01, 264 pages
Description
"Omar and his younger brother Hassan live in a refugee camp, and when an opportunity for Omar to get an education comes along, he must decide between going to school every day or caring for his nonverbal brother in this intimate and touching portrayal of family and daily life in a refugee camp"--
Local notes
Publishers Weekly Starred, 03/01/2020
Based on coauthor Mohamed’s childhood after fleeing Somalia on foot with his younger brother, this affecting graphic novel follows the brothers’ life in a Kenyan refugee camp. Though loving foster mother Fatuma cares for the boys, Mohamed watches out for his largely nonverbal younger brother, Hassan, who experiences occasional seizures, and is fearful of leaving him even to attend school. Mohamed longs to find their biological mother, and—like nearly everyone in the vast camp—waits for a life-changing, seemingly arbitrary UN interview that will determine whether the boys will be resettled, perhaps in the U.S. or Canada. Jamieson and Mohamed together craft a cohesive, winding story that balances daily life and boredom, past traumas, and unforeseen outcomes alongside camp denizens’ ingenuity and community. Expressive, memorable characters by Jamieson (Roller Girl) work and play against backdrops of round-topped UN tents, while colorist Iman Geddy’s deep purple skies drive home the title. The result of this team effort is a personal and poignant entry point for young readers trying to understand an unfair world. Back matter includes photographs of the brothers and authors’ notes. Ages 9–12.
Based on coauthor Mohamed’s childhood after fleeing Somalia on foot with his younger brother, this affecting graphic novel follows the brothers’ life in a Kenyan refugee camp. Though loving foster mother Fatuma cares for the boys, Mohamed watches out for his largely nonverbal younger brother, Hassan, who experiences occasional seizures, and is fearful of leaving him even to attend school. Mohamed longs to find their biological mother, and—like nearly everyone in the vast camp—waits for a life-changing, seemingly arbitrary UN interview that will determine whether the boys will be resettled, perhaps in the U.S. or Canada. Jamieson and Mohamed together craft a cohesive, winding story that balances daily life and boredom, past traumas, and unforeseen outcomes alongside camp denizens’ ingenuity and community. Expressive, memorable characters by Jamieson (Roller Girl) work and play against backdrops of round-topped UN tents, while colorist Iman Geddy’s deep purple skies drive home the title. The result of this team effort is a personal and poignant entry point for young readers trying to understand an unfair world. Back matter includes photographs of the brothers and authors’ notes. Ages 9–12.
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Young People's Literature — 2020)
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award (Nominee — 2023)
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Middle Grade — 2 — 2023)
Massachusetts Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2022)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — 2022)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2022)
Eisner Award (Nominee — 2021)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2022)
Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Junior — 2023)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2023)
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Nominee — 2022)
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Mark Twain Readers Award (Nominee — 2023)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2022)
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature (Honor Book — 2021)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Honor — 2022)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2023)
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2021)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2023)
North Carolina Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Land Of Enchantment Book Award (Winner — 2023)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration (Nominee — 2021)
Jane Addams Children's Book Award (Finalist — 2020)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Middle School — 2023)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — Elementary — 2022)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2021)
Josette Frank Award (Winner — 2021)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
UKLA Book Award (Shortlist — 2022)
Children's Africana Book Award (Honor Book — Older Readers — 2021)
Odyssey Award (Honor — 2021)
Colorado Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2022)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2023)
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Nominee — 2022)
Lectio Book Award (Nominee — 2023)
YouPer Award (Honor — Honor — 2021)
Lewisham Book Awards (2022)
Three Stars Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
CYBILS Awards (Winner — 2020)
Rhode Island Middle School Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Charlotte Huck Award (Honor — 2021)
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (Nominee — 2021)
Schneider Family Book Award (Honor — Middle Grades — 2021)
Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children's Literature (Winner — Younger Readers — 2021)
NPR: Books We Love (2020)
CCBC Choices (2021)
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Selection — 2021)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Kids (Top Ten — 2020)
Notable Children's Book (2021)
Nerdy Book Award (Graphic Novels — 2020)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Graphic Novels — 2020)
Idaho Battle of the Books (2023)
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults (Top Ten — 2021)
Just One More Page Recommendation List (Young Adult — 2021)
Read for Empathy Collections (2021)
Project LIT Book Selection (Middle Grade — 2021)
OYAN Graphic Rave (Middle Grade — 2021)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Fiction for Older Readers — 2020)