Inside Out and Back Again (original 2011; udgave 2013)

This is a wonderful book for middle students. Within its pages it details the life of a girl named Ha, as her home, Saigon, Vietnam, was threatened by invading war, and her and her family had to flee from it. They come to live in Alabama where Ha faces a new culture, meaning children in school, the struggles of war still impacting her homeland and her fathers absence, and her developing understanding of the English language. Ha overcomes great feats, and the book tells the story of a resilient and hopeful family. This is such a helpful book because it can cause a reader to view life from the eyes of another, and can be educational for students to read. I would love to have this book in my classroom library and I think it would be powerful for students to read during a history lesson.

Middle. This book is told in first-person poetry through the eyes of Ha. She is the youngest of 3 boys and her father has been missing for years. When the Vietnam war threatns their way of life, their family flees on a crowded ship. Eventually, they arrive to their new home, Alabama. Ha's time there is not easy, she faces bullying, learning English, and missing her life in Vietnam. This is a beautiful own voice story that is a good read for everyone. Could be used for literature or history lessons

Age: intermediate / middle
Genre: poetry / realistic fiction

This book had beautiful development and tackled a lot of hard topics. Há lost her father to the military and had to grieve her home as it was lost in the war as well. In coming to the United States she struggled with learning the language and feeling dumb because she couldn't articulate her knowledge to her peers. She also faced racist bullying. This would be a great book to use for students that may be a little below grade level in reading because there is still great development of deep topics but it is a little easier to read than a full chapter book. ( )

Middle; Realistic Fiction; This story, written in verse, is written from the perspective of a young girl telling the story of her family migrating to America after fleeing Saigon during the war. The author does not avoid the hard and ugly topics of the move, but presents them in a way that is understandable by young readers. This is a great book for students who may be experiencing a move to a new place or having a hard time adjusting as well as all readers. It is a great book for all students as it helps in building empathy and understanding. ( )

I personally loved this book and the message is presented. I would love to have this book in my future classroom. ( )