Inside Out & Back Again

The year Hà turns ten turns out to be a tumultuous one. It is 1975 and the Vietnam War rages on. As the fighting draws closer to her home in Saigon, Hà's family must decide if they will stay in the home they have always known or attempt to flea to a safer location where Hà's missing father may never find them. In the end the family packs a few meager belongings and leaves everything they have ever known. The journey is long and difficult, but after several months of living on a cramped ship and in tent villages they finally are welcomed to the United States by an American sponsor from Alabama. Though no longer facing the violent dangers of war, Hà has a whole new set of challenges to tackle as she goes from being a very smart, happy girl to feeling stupid because she can't speak English. Her frustration builds as she endures relentless teasing from her American classmates. But with the help of her family and compassionate neighbor Mrs. Washington, Hà slowing begins to find joy in her new surroundings.

Inside Out and Back Again is a heartfelt story. Told in verse, the pages of this novel turn quickly while getting right to the heart of of Hà's experiences and giving them plenty of emotional power. Readers are invited to get inside Hà's head and experience all of her joy, sorrow and frustration with her. It is worth noting that author Thanhha Lai drew from many of her own childhood experiences to write this novel, and this authenticity certainly adds to the emotional impact of Hà's story. But this isn't your typical immigration story. Hà certainly goes through a number of trials, but she does so with plenty of spunk. This fiestiness adds depth to the story and keeps the concept fresh.

Overall Grade: A

Edit 1/23/12: Congratulations to Thanhha Lai for winning a 2012 Newbery Honor for Inside Out and Back Again. Lai also was awarded the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for this lovely book.