From Here by Luma Mufleh

 

Luma Mufleh grew up in Aman, Jordan as the child of Syrian refugees. She was part of a large, close family with strong ties to each other, but she always knew she was different. As a student in an American high school in Jordan in the 1990s, she realized that she was gay and that there was no place for her in Jordan. In fact, she could be killed if her sexuality were to be discovered. She thought that going to college in the United States could be a way out for her, but did not want her identity to separate her from her beloved family. This memoir is illuminating on many levels--life in Jordan, Muslim family dynamics, the American immigrant experience, and having the courage to become your true self. These themes will resonate with high school students but also with adults. Luma has had a long journey becoming a US Citizen and creating schools and soccer teams for refugee children, and her story is powerful and empowering. Recommended for high school and adult readers. 

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Many readers know Victoria Jamieson for her wildly popular graphic novels, Roller Girl and All's Faire in Middle School. Jamieson brings her vibrant, expressive illustrations to a different kind of story to share Omar Mohamed's life with young readers. The book begins in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Omar and his brother Hassan sleep in their own tent alone, although they are only children. A woman named Fatuma looks out for them, but she is not their mother. You find out that the boys fled Somalia together, and hold out hope that their mother is alive somewhere. Omar spends his days (which are generally long, monotonous, and filled with hunger) taking care of his brother Hassan, who does not speak and has some other disabilities. When Omar is asked to attend school he is afraid to leave Hassan even for a few hours a day. When he does go to school he discovers that he is smart and that education might be his way out of the camps if only he can get resettled in another country. Jamieson and Mohamed have told this story perfectly. This gem should be read by EVERYONE.