Inside Out and Back Again

Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai
(4th-6th grades)

Ten-year-old Ha has grown up in Saigon, but the Vietnam War is swiftly changing life and soon she is headed to the United States with her mother and three brothers. As her life begins anew in Alabama, Ha faces new challenges as she navigates American culture and food, makes new friends, and learns to see her family in a new light.

Based on the author's own experience, this novel in verse is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of immigration, and the anxiety, misunderstandings and hope that follows. This story is sure to bring a better understanding to those who read Ha's story.

Winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Reviewed by Korie B., Children's Staff