INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN by Thanhha Lai

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lai, Thanhha. 2011. INSIDE OUT & BACK AGAIN.  New York, NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN 9780061962783

 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Há lives in Saigon with her family.  Her family is forced to flee Vietnam during the Vietnam War.  They move to Alabama.  In the verse novel, Há gives a personal account of her thoughts and feelings throughout her family’s move from Saigon to United States.

 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In this highly emotional verse novel, the author, Thanhha Lai, captures the heart of a girl named Há. She shares her hopes, dreams, and struggles as she transitions to life in the United States.  The author does a great job depicting the emotional struggles of being an immigrant to the United States.  Even though the story is fictional, Thanhha Lai has used experiences and emotions from her childhood when she fled from Vietnam with her family as a child.  The character, Há has many experiences and emotional struggles that parallel the author’s struggles in the transition from Vietnam to the United States. 

 

The succinct verses really capture the emotional struggles.  For example, “Unless, Father has sent word that he’s safe after all.  I shiver with hope.”  The book is divided into four Parts:  “Saigon”, “At Sea”, “Alabama” and “From Now On.”   The book is then further divided into titled journal entries that each end with a date.   The author seems to want to make the reader feel like you are reading Há’s journal.  There is not much rhyming in the book but the author put much thought into the rhythmic flow of the verses which helps enhance the emotional quality of the book. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Children's Notable Books, 2012

Newbery Honor Books, 2012

School Library Journal, 2011

 

5. CONNECTIONS.  

 *Great book for a student who has immigrated to the United States since the book deals with the difficult emotional and cultural transitions of moving to a new country. 

*Other verse novels:

Spinelli, Eileen.  THE DANCING PANCAKE. ISBN 97803758587039780375858703

 

Creech, Sharon.  LOVE THAT DOG.  ISBN 0060292873006029287300602928730