From the Bookshelf of 100+ Books in 2025

Inside Out & Back Again
by
Start date
November 4, 2013
Finish date
November 6, 2013

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What Members Thought

Katie
May 24, 2011 rated it really liked it
Nicely done verse/journal experience of a young girl first living, then fleeing Vietnam and settling in Alabama. Good for summer reading theme this year, too!
Dolly
This book was selected as one of the books to read and discuss at a youth book club at our local library. We read the book together and we talked about the events as they unfolded. I'm not sure, with the story in verse, if our girls would've understood all the nuances of the tale and the book is probably better for children in middle school. Still, as we read the book together, I quizzed our girls on how they imagined Ha felt and what they thought about her experiences.

Overall, I thought this wa
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Lindsay
Beautiful crossover book written in verse about a girl who immigrates from Vietnam at the end of the Vietnam war. It's a great high-low read, but would also appeal to teens interested in historical fiction. It only took the better part of an hour to read. Also a good recommendation for kids who liked the Newberry award winner "Crossover." ...more
Rachel
Apr 02, 2015 rated it it was amazing
Beautiful.
Julia
Mar 05, 2013 rated it really liked it
Ha is Vietnamese ten year old, living in Saigon, until she and her family become ‘boat people,’ then go to live in Alabama. This novel, written in free verse is about the people that rescue Ha, like her neighbor Miss Washington, who is a retired teacher, who teaches the whole family better English.

“MiSSSisss WaSShington says/ if every learner waits/ to speak perfectly,/ no one would learn/ a new language.” (253)

I quite liked this middle grade/ early YA novel.
Kelly
Mar 01, 2011 marked it as to-read
A
Jul 14, 2011 marked it as to-read
Alan
Sep 19, 2011 rated it did not like it
Beth
Oct 13, 2011 marked it as to-read
Shelves: to-read-teen
Robin
Nov 20, 2011 marked it as to-read
Jessica
Dec 27, 2011 rated it really liked it
Shelly
Dec 29, 2011 marked it as to-read
Carol
May 17, 2012 rated it really liked it
Angie
Jun 15, 2012 rated it really liked it
Elene
Jul 20, 2012 marked it as to-read
Stacy
Nov 06, 2012 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
Meghan
Sep 05, 2014 rated it it was amazing
Kara
Nov 17, 2014 rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2014
Rachel
Mar 06, 2015 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Sue
May 03, 2016 marked it as to-read
Janet
Jul 15, 2016 marked it as to-read
Shelves: beautiful-cover
Amber
Mar 17, 2017 rated it really liked it
Shelves: 2017
Minh
Feb 04, 2019 marked it as in-the-queues
Susan
Oct 11, 2019 marked it as to-read
Kelly
Sep 08, 2022 marked it as to-read
Melissa
Feb 04, 2025 rated it it was amazing
Nancy
Feb 15, 2025 rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
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