Inspired by the author's childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama, this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child's-eye view of family and immigration.For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family. Genre: Historical FictionAge: 8-12 years oldSummary:Hà is an average 10-year-old girl living in Saigon, Vietnam. Despite being antagonized by her three older brothers, she has a mother who she looks up to and loves very much. Hà’s father has been missing for her whole life, solidifying her relationship with her mother and making her mother the center of Hà’s life. In America, the family faces many challenges especially with the language barrier. Hà is bullied because she doesn’t know English very well but they meet a family from Alabama that adopts them. Hà adores the husband, but does not relate as well with his wife. The wife is mean and doesn’t allow Hà and her family to leave the house because she is afraid of what people may think. Comments:This is a very cultural book. The characters are immigrants who find a sponsor family and the reader gets to liv through their struggles with them. This can help open up the eyes of students who have always lived in America to see how different life is for people who do not speak the language or come from a different country.Observations:This book really exemplifies the struggles of being an immigrant family and it really makes the reader look at immigration differently. The family who takes in Ha and her family is an example of what more people should be like.Questions:How was Ha's family feeling when they had to leave? This book is told from Ha's perspective, but how would the story be different if it was told from another family members point of view?Use in Classroom:This could be a project on each student's culture. Each student could prepare a presentation with a food item from their ancestors country and talk about the history, customs, types of food eaten and the landscape/climate and anything extra they want to add. Theme:Family: Family is all Hà has left of her culture that her and her family had to leave behind in Vietnam. Family relationships are a huge focus Criticism:This is a great book and it teaches students about immigrants and opens the door to discussion about immigration and what it is. My heart broke when Ha and her family had to leave their home country and move somewhere totally new.Format: Chapter bookSocioeconomic Status: N\ARace/Ethnicity: This book is about a family from Saigon. Thy moved to America to get away from the violence in their town which is something that is rare in America. Readers will be able to learn a little about the culture of Saigon and appreciate their lives in America.Gender: This book is told from the perspective of a young girl. Girls who have moved especially will be able to find comfort and validation in what Ha is going through. This book will help girls get through their fears about moving or going somewhere new.Citation: Lai, T., & Shappell, R. (2011). Inside out & back again. New York: HarperCollins.
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