National Network for Equitable Library Service

An Odyssey Honor audiobook and National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel—adapted for audio—is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day. Heartbreak, hope, and gentle humor exist together in this graphic novel—now adapted for audio—about a childhood spent waiting, and a young man who is able to create a sense of family and home in the most difficult of settings. It's an intimate, important, unforgettable look at the day-to-day life of a refugee, as told to  New York Times  Bestselling author/artist Victoria Jamieson by Omar Mohamed, the Somali man who lived the story. This audiobook is performed by a full cast and includes music and special effects. Cast of Narrators: Faysal Ahmed as Omar Barkhad Abdi as Jeri Robin Miles as Fatuma Ifrah Mansour as Nimo and Munira Bahni Turpin as Maryam and Ladan Hakeemshady Mohamed as Tall Salan Sadeeq Ali as Tall Ali Dominic Hoffman as Michael, Christine Avila as Susana Martinez, JD Jackson as Hassan and Jeri’s Dad Filsan Said as Nimo’s Mom, Sadiya, and Little Nimo Dion Graham as David Samba Schutte as Abdikarim and The Man who Finds Hassan Hana Robleh as Mama Abdi Iftin as Abdikarim’s Dad and Salat Susan Duerden as The Reporter and Steve West as The Cameraman with Omar Mohamed reading his Author's Note and Victoria Jamieson reading her Author's Note