Orange for the Sunsets

Brief overview:

This middle grade novel explores the historical event in 1972 when President Idi Amin announced Indians must leave Uganda in 90 days. The story unpacks how this news impacts two friends on different sides of the edict.

Recommended age range: 4th grade & up

Strengths:

• Provides a kid-friendly angle to this historical event
• Switches between two different POVs (Yesofu and Asha) which allows readers to see this story from an African and Indian perspective
• Well-written to pull reader along in the narrative
• Asha grapples with issues she never thought of before and experiences real growth
• Yesofu's journey is powerful as he balances loyalty to a friend who never fully understood his world, but a desire to remain a part of his community without crossing any lines

Additional Notes:

• As the book progresses, more violence is mentioned. While this is adapted for young readers, it may be worth a parent reading ahead to ensure they're comfortable with various scenes (such as a teacher getting beat up, kids threatened by a soldier with a gun, etc.) 
• References to other violence is mentioned in conversations between kids (such as people killed and thrown into the river).
• Toward the end of the book, there's a scene where Yesofu and his dad go fishing in a boat and catch a dead body by accident. This moment doesn't add much to the storyline and could be skipped.

When Stars Are Scattered

Brief overview:
This graphic novel invites young readers into the world of a Somali boy, Omar, living in a Kenyan refugee camp with his non-speaking younger brother.

Recommended age range: 5th grade & up

Strengths:

• Paints a picture of life as a refugee kid
• Sheds insight into how Omar's Muslim faith influences him
• Dives into hard issues in a kid-focused way
• Based on a true story
• Highlights the importance of doing the best you can with what you're given
• Provides perspective on the gift education truly is
• Demonstrates the ups and downs of community, but also how incredibly powerful and beautiful it can be

Additional Notes:

• I listened to the audiobook and thought it well done.
• I encourage parents to read this together with their kid or listen to the audiobook together to pause as needed or skip parts based upon your kid.
• This graphic novel is divided into parts. The first part provides a good glimpse into the life of a refugee inside a camp. You could stop here for younger readers (and just read or listen to the first chapter in part two to get the cliffhanger answered from part one).
• You could skip the introduction to avoid the mention of his nightmares (which aren't described in detail, but just mentioned) and not miss anything important from the story to keep it lighter for young readers.
• As the graphic novel progresses, Omar gets older. Part one is written when he's around 11. Part two when he's 13 and part three when he's 17. This is important to keep in mind because Omar tackles his struggles from a growing vantage point as he grows.
• Part two delves into the civil war and how that landed Omar and his brother as orphans in a Kenyan refugee camp.
• Omar must share his story with a U.N. worker to be considered for resettlement. While explained in a kid-friendly way and not dwelled on, part of Omar's tragic story is the death of his father from soldiers and the separation from his mother. These are heavy issues and these scenes may be unsettling. Parents should read ahead to determine if this scene should be skipped or read together with their kid.
• Omar's Muslim faith is mentioned throughout the story. It provides a great way for kids to see how some aspects of Islam seem similar to Christianity, but provides a springboard to discuss the nuances between the two in how Omar views God's involvement in his own story.
• Ample chances to discuss different issues raised in this graphic novel. An eye-opening experience for middle grade readers (and parents).
• Omar shares the array of emotions experienced on the road to resettlement in powerful ways and the beauty of community within his refugee camp.