Inside Out & Back Again

Lai, T. (2011). Inside out and back again. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Notable Books for Children List, 2012

Thanhha Lai wrote Inside Out & Back Again strictly in free verse, and it is based on her first year in the United States after leaving her home during the Vietnam War.  Though the main character Há is fictional, many of her experiences are real and come from Lai’s life.  In the story, Há and her family are forced to move to the United States when the Vietnam War reaches their home in Saigon.  She and her family flee on a navy ship, and when they arrive in America, they live at a refugee camp in Guam for a few months.  After lying about being Christian, Há and her family are sponsored by a cowboy from Alabama.  He helps get them on their feet, but Há struggles with bullies in school and learning English.  At one point, she even recounts how she would rather be in Saigon in wartime than in America in peacetime.  But with the help of her family and her neighbor Miss Washington, Há overcomes the school bullies, learns English, and begins to finally feel at home in America. 

I am not typically a fan of free verse poetry, but I could not help but be drawn to Há’s story.  It was extremely fascinating learning about her culture, the Vietnam War, the loss of her father, and what it would be like to have to make a new home as a foreigner in a strange land.  Because it is such an easy and interesting read, I feel that children will definitely be drawn to this story, as well.