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Children's Books

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JULY 10, 2012
Inside out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Told in three parts, this book of poems tells the story over the course of the year, 1975, from the perspective of 10-year-old Ha. Her father is missing-in-action during the Vietnam War and her mother has decided to try to escape the country before Saigon falls to the Communists. Leaving on a navy ship with hundreds of others also trying to escape, Ha, (with her mother and three brothers), is rescued by an American ship and taken to a tent city in Guam where they will ultimately decide where they want to go next. Ha's mother chooses America when she hears her sons might earn scholarships to college. They arrive in Florida, and stay in another tent city where they must have a sponsor take responsibility for them before they can leave.  To become more eligible, Ha's mother changes their religion to Christian on their application. A man from Alabama comes looking for a boy he can train as a mechanic. He chooses Brother Quang who possesses some engineering education, and ends up with the entire family of five! The final portion of the book covers the family's time in Alabama - learning English, going to school, coming to terms with the fact their country doesn't exist anymore and are likely not to ever see their father again. This book won a 2012 Newbery Honor Award and was a National Book Award Winner. Suitable for readers in grades 6-8 who enjoy historical fiction and stories about children whose lives are greatly altered by war. This is easy to read and includes a message about bullying.

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