Cover of When Stars Are Scattered

When Stars Are Scattered

by Victoria Jamieson

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Among the most widely assigned — 13 curriculum lists · 16 states

#21 most-assigned book in America — on school reading lists in 14 states (2026-07-13 study of 13,258 assignments).

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Virginia Readers' ChoiceMaud Hart Lovelace Book AwardRebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book AwardPacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award+9 more

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8. It appears across 13 curriculum references and 16 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where When Stars Are Scattered is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 5–8
Age range
Ages 10–14
First published
2020
Genre
Graphic Novel
ISBN-13
9780525553922

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

A National Book Award finalist graphic memoir of Omar and his nonverbal brother growing up in a Kenyan refugee camp, dreaming of school and reunion. (Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winner.)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like When Stars Are Scattered→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on refugees and family; cited across 13 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

refugees · family · hope

Where this book is assigned

Show 7 more awards & assignments

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Common questions

What grade level is When Stars Are Scattered?
When Stars Are Scattered is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8. It appears on 13 school reading lists across 16 states, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign When Stars Are Scattered?
When Stars Are Scattered appears on reading lists for Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award, Garden State Children's Book Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award, and 10 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is When Stars Are Scattered banned in schools?
When Stars Are Scattered has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 3 states (FL, PA, WI) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
What themes does When Stars Are Scattered explore?
Central themes in When Stars Are Scattered include refugees, family, hope.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 5–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 13 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 16 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 3 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club, read-aloud.

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