Rate this book

Inside Out & Back Again (2011)

by Thanhha Lai(Favorite Author)
4.06 of 5 Votes: 2
ISBN
0061962783 (ISBN13: 9780061962783)
languge
English
publisher
HarperCollins
review 1: Lia, T. (2011). Inside Out & Back Again. New York, NY: HarperCollins.Inside Out & Back Again is a story about a 10 year old girl named Kim Hὰ, who escapes from Vietnam to Alabama, with her mother and brothers. They hope to escape the Vietnam War and find peace and safety in the United States. In a series of short poems, the story develops over a year in the life of Kim Hὰ. The readers follow Kim Hὰ and her family from their boat voyage to the United States, to their struggles of trying to settle in the US, and ends with the family finally being able to get better and hope for better days, and that life will get better. In the classroom, students can write about what they have done together as a family and if they have ever traveled anywhere far. When they are done, s... moretudents can share their stories.
review 2: Based on true events that happened in the life of the author, the story follows a young Vietnamese girl named Há and her family as they flee Vietnam during the war to become refugees in the United States. The plot development in this story is excellent and has so many different facets to it. With the war raging in Vietnam, the major dramatic question is evident early on – What will be the fate of this small Vietnamese family? Follow up questions arise as they travel to America and begin acclimating to the new culture – Will they be able to adjust in a new culture where they are the outsiders? Will they ever be accepted? The author does a great job of keeping things unpredictable with regards to the plot. The main theme in this book is adjusting to a new culture. The newly escaped refugee family from Vietnam is now forced to adjust and adapt to a new culture in America that sees them in many ways as foreigners who don’t belong. As the reader, you get the inside perspective of what it is like for this family and how difficult it is. Readers could likely come away from the book with a new perspective and think differently about how people from cultures should be treated – with respect, patience, and dignity. The story is told from the point of view of the main character, Há, through journal like entries of her recording her thoughts and experiences. This is an effective way to tell the story because the diary type entries create an intimate connection between Há and the reader and give insightful details into her life and the other characters. Há records a lot of her feelings and the feelings of others in her entries, which makes experiencing her journey and that of her family raw and emotional. Overall, a good way to keep the reader engaged. I would recommend this book for 4th-6th grade students and would use it to teach about refugees and about how to treat others who are from other countries. Lai, T. (2011). Inside Out and Back Again. New York, NY: Harper Collins. less
Reviews (see all)
yologirl
Inside Out and Back Again is about a girl named Hà and her family living in Saigon, Vietnam. Her father had disappeared in a war but her, her mother, and brothers weren’t ready to accept the fact her was never coming back. The family soon must leave, for the communists are about to take over in war. The family ends up in Guam, but then relocates to Florida where they live in a tent camp. They are eventually sponsored by a cowboy, and move to Alabama with him where they are given an apartment. The oldest brother and mother work, while the other children attend school. It is hard and most people are mean to them. Their struggles and triumphs are descried, and it ends with the brothers going to college and the family celebrating Tet. This is a middle school aged fiction book, based off of real events. This can be for any race, gender, or ethnicities but would be especially good for migrant students. It can be used in the class to teach acceptance.Lai, T., Shappell, R., Harper., & HarperCollins (Firm). (2011). Inside out & back again. New York: Harper.
Krissy
This is the story of a year in the life of a 10-year-old girl who flees Vietnam with her mother and brothers in efforts to escape the war. They hope to make a safe and successful life in the United States. Hà and her family travel by boat to America where they struggle to start a life. By the end of the year which is also the end of the book they finally start to have a life together in a war free place.
Simka
The book was VERY good it was kind of sad but very meaningful.
Mchanc5
I really liked it because the poems in the book calmed me.
Write review
Review will shown on site after approval.
(Review will shown on site after approval)