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September 2026 - A Day at the Beach
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June Read- Inside Out and Back Again
By Kim · 15 posts · 137 views
By Kim · 15 posts · 137 views
last updated Dec 19, 2011 08:09AM
What Members Thought
Hey, reviewers? A lot of you are using the word "prose" where you mean "poetry", and I can't take it.
Also, there are actually lots and lots of kids' and YA books written in verse. Thanks.
Anyway, actual review: I find it difficult to review this, just like I found it difficult to review the last novel-in-verse about a Vietnamese refugee in the 1970s that I read, All the Broken Pieces. Like anything negative I might say is me judging the immigrant experience itself.
At first I didn't like this that ...more
Also, there are actually lots and lots of kids' and YA books written in verse. Thanks.
Anyway, actual review: I find it difficult to review this, just like I found it difficult to review the last novel-in-verse about a Vietnamese refugee in the 1970s that I read, All the Broken Pieces. Like anything negative I might say is me judging the immigrant experience itself.
At first I didn't like this that ...more
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
From the inside flap:
No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.
For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.
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. ...more
From the inside flap:
No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.
For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.
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. ...more
There's been a lot of talk about this as a potential Newbery contender, so I took it home over the weekend and read it really quick. It's a novel in verse, so I was able to get through it quickly. It's a about a young Vietnamese girl just before Saigon falls. She ends up on a boat with her brothers and mother headed towards Thailand and safety. They eventually wind up in Alabama, trying to learn English and adjust to a totally new and unfamiliar way of life - and a lot of hostility from the peop
...more
A beautifully-written, delightful and moving autobiographical story about a young Vietnamese refuge at the end of the war. Well deserving of its National Book Award!
Author Thanhha Lai offers the story of 10-year-old Ha during the year that her family escaped Vietnam and began a new life in Alabama in 1975.
Written in verse form this is a beautiful story from a debut children's author.
Exceptional. ...more
Written in verse form this is a beautiful story from a debut children's author.
Exceptional. ...more
Feb 23, 2012
Karen Gibson
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry,
2012-112-book-project
Newbery Honor 2012
Love this book
It made me think of all the precious Vietnamese students I taught and the courage they and their parents had in making a life for themselves in America.
Love this book
It made me think of all the precious Vietnamese students I taught and the courage they and their parents had in making a life for themselves in America.
Apr 22, 2012
Beth Given
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
battle-of-the-books-2013-14
Written in verse, this is a short but powerful book about Vietnamese refugees who immigrate to America following the communist takeover of South Vietnam. I loved the story, the images, and the deep emotion packed into these few words. This is a short, well-crafted book, and it's easy to see why this was chosen as Newbery Honor book -- it's a gem.
REREAD IN JANUARY 2014: Just as beautiful the second time. Wonderful, rich characters. A couple of favorite lines:
"Other girls must be made of bamboo, b ...more
REREAD IN JANUARY 2014: Just as beautiful the second time. Wonderful, rich characters. A couple of favorite lines:
"Other girls must be made of bamboo, b ...more
Absolutely delightful. I am loving reading poetry as novels. This had everything just right to make a great read. The poetry was accessible, beautiful, and full of great messages. It was tear jerker, and funny ("Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion". . .name that movie!) while being true to the story. I didn't realize this was much of the author's own story.
...more
Short read (poetry form) historical fiction about a girl coming to Alabama from Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
As usual, I am fascinated that books in poetry form, when done well, seem to be able to convey twice the emotional punch with less than half the text. The story of a young girl's experiences during the fall of Saigon, and her family's immigration to America has a lot of punch, even though she seems to be on the fringe of events. You may need to insert your own historical knowledge into the story, as the protagonist is sometimes unaware of what is happening. Still, the books brings a great perspe
...more
All teachers of English language learners should read this book!
A gem! Pick it up and read it straight through.
Oct 18, 2011
Karyn The Pirate
marked it as to-read
