Inside Out and Back Again (2011)

A heartbreaking and hopeful story told in poetry format describes the life of a young girl named, Hà, after she is forced to move to Alabama after the breakout of the Vietnam War. Hà expresses the pain and isolation she feels from not feeling welcomed by the community, but ultimately finds strength from the all the love and support from her family. I highly recommend this book, especially in an English middle school classroom as the poetry delivers such an emotional story and informative pieces about the Vietnam War that kids will remember for a long time. ( )

#1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award!
A girl names Ha lives in Saigon and that is all she knows, that is where she grew up, that's where all of her friends are. But something tragic happened to where her family had to leave on a boat and head somewhere to start a new life, Ameria.
This book can be used in social studies or history class because it teaches things about different cultures and backgrounds.
10/10 recommend. Great book about different cultures. ( )

Source: Newberry Honor
Age Range: 8-12
Evaluation of Quality: The distinctive voice of 10-year-old Ha paints an unforgettable picture of a family escaping the Vietnam war to the confusing world of 1960's rural Alabama.
Assessment of potential use: I would use this book to help teach a 5th grade class about the Vietnam war.
Assessment of appeal to children: Ha's vivid descriptions, like how she remembers the taste of fresh papaya, or the confusion and anger she feels from the American kids' teasing, will stick in student's memories.

Overall, this book was very informative and descriptive of what the author went through as a child. She took us through the book with sights she saw, fruit she smelled, bombs she heard, all as a young girl.

This book is written in verse. It is about a young girl who has to move to the US in order to escape war. She doesn’t speak English and the book highlights her struggles.