Inside Out & Back Again by Thanna Lai is written cleverly in verse and has four parts titled "Saigon," "At Sea," "Alabama," and "From Now On." The main character is Ha who is a ten year-old girl who is forced to flee to Alabama from her home in Saigon with her mom and brothers because of the Vietnam War. The story is inspired by the author's refugee experience fleeing to the United States after the Fall of Saigon as explained in the author's note. It is sad to note that this book is considered historical fiction because it takes place during the 1970s when I was born. LOL.
One funny scene is when Ha describes being baptized at the Baptist church, and she really has no idea what is happening. Before being baptized, the neighbors mostly ignored Ha's family. Once they were baptized, the neighbors were much more accepting of Ha's family. The scene demonstrated the absolute close-mindedness of Ha's community members. Ha faced harassment and racism at school when kids called her "pancake face" (p. 196) and pulled her hair. One theme of the book is that immigrants have to be resilient to survive. Ha and her family lost their father/husband, friends, and their beloved homeland to escape to safety. Inside Out & Back Again is a quick read that will be enjoyed by the intended audience of 9 to 12 year-olds.
Lai, T. (2013). Inside Out & Back Again. Harper Collins.
My Heart is on the Ground was a tough book to read because the Native American's traditions, languages, and customs were ripped away from them. It is unthinkable that one group of people thinks that it is okay to take away another group's identity and beautiful way of life. Nannie Little Rose and the other native children were forcibly taken from their families and moved to government residential schools where many endured abuse and neglect.
The book is written in diary format from Nannie's perspective about her experience at the Carlisle residential school. Ms. Campbell, Nannie's teacher, is the one who forced her to write in the diary. Nannie writes in her diary in her new language and includes descriptions of things like a translator using hyphenated phrases that she would use in her native language. At the end of the book, there is a historical note about life in the U.S. in 1880, photographs at Carlisle School, two U.S. maps, the school song lyrics, and an about the author page. The historical note states: "There was much sickness at Carlisle those first years, and many students died" (p. 179). Reading My Heart is on the Ground literally made my heart fall to the ground for these native children and the way Rinaldi portrayed the residential schools as positive rather than negative forces in their lives.
Rinaldi, A. (1999). My Heart is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl. Scholastic.
Soul Lanterns is a sad but hopeful story about victims and survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. The book starts with a prologue in the present time with Nozomi and her family at the annual lantern floating ceremony. The lantern floating ceremony is a beautiful ceremony where family and friends place glowing lanterns in the river to remember their loved ones who have passed. At the end of the book, there is a brief history of the lantern ceremony, and the note explains that the ceremony has become not only a memorial but also a message of peace. In two chapters, the font changes and the point of view transitions to Mr. Yoshioka's and Mrs. Sudo's experiences from the war and bombing. Lastly, the book ends with a letter from Mrs. Michiko Hotta to Nozomi and an epilogue describing the out-of-season lantern ceremony.
One quote that I found particularly meaningful in this story and supported the theme was: "But actually, pictures and songs, things like that . . . are what save us the most" (p. 142). A theme in the book is that the arts provide an outlet for people to express themselves in times of crisis and they provide hope for a better future. The paintings, drawings, and sculptures created for the cultural festival by the Art Club kids provided healing and hope for those affected by the war like Mr. Yoshioka. Another example of art providing hope and healing are all of the stories, paintings, poems, and murals created by people around the world who suffered through the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Soul Lanterns was translated from Japanese and is a memorable way to learn more about the Japanese perspective of WWII.
Kuzki, S. (2021). Soul lanterns. Delacorte Press.
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