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I didn't expect a book of poetry, but that is exactly what this is. The story of a child refugee from the Vietnamese war told in poem form and beautifully capturing the emotional journey of being plucked from what one once knew and dropped into the unknown.
On audiobook
-refugee/immigrant story about a girl and her family moving from South Vietnam after it fell to the North.
-protagonist feels unhappy in Alabama and she and her brothers face racism at school.
-small amount of violence not explicitly described in the form of two background characters trying to commit suicide.
-A great story and an important perspective.
-refugee/immigrant story about a girl and her family moving from South Vietnam after it fell to the North.
-protagonist feels unhappy in Alabama and she and her brothers face racism at school.
-small amount of violence not explicitly described in the form of two background characters trying to commit suicide.
-A great story and an important perspective.
I really loved this book! I picked it up because it was a Newbery Honor book and I try to read some of those each year. I opened it for the first time at the beach when I took my kids out for a fun afternoon in the sun. I turned to the first page and saw that it was a book of poems.
Ugh, I thought, I do not like poetry! (I should know better than to think this since I loved Brown Girl Dreaming and Crossover.) I started reading and basically had this one done in an hour or so. It was a fantastic book! The author herself is an immigrant from Vietnam, escaping as the war swept through her home country. She bases the main character, Ha, on herself, telling the story of and capturing the feelings of loving a country, leaving a country and trying to make a home in another country. She describes the terror of the war and her escape from Vietnam along with her first experiences in the United States in a way that is easy to understand yet doesn't seem trite or immature.
There is lots of depth and meaning packed into this short book of verse that tells a lovely, yet at times heartbreaking, story.
Ugh, I thought, I do not like poetry! (I should know better than to think this since I loved Brown Girl Dreaming and Crossover.) I started reading and basically had this one done in an hour or so. It was a fantastic book! The author herself is an immigrant from Vietnam, escaping as the war swept through her home country. She bases the main character, Ha, on herself, telling the story of and capturing the feelings of loving a country, leaving a country and trying to make a home in another country. She describes the terror of the war and her escape from Vietnam along with her first experiences in the United States in a way that is easy to understand yet doesn't seem trite or immature.
There is lots of depth and meaning packed into this short book of verse that tells a lovely, yet at times heartbreaking, story.
Insightful and unique
The author shares the experience becoming a refugee of the Vietnam War. Great short novel to convey reality and emotion.
The author shares the experience becoming a refugee of the Vietnam War. Great short novel to convey reality and emotion.
This book has so much heart and soul. There is power in this story. Read it!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is a beautiful verse novel focused on one family fleeing Vietnam at the end of the way and coming to the United States. It deals with some difficult issues (war, racism, bullying) in a way that is approachable for younger students.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Graphic: Racism, War
I really enjoyed the poetic format of this book and thought it provided a great immigrant perspective. I think it would be a really good book for middle school students to read to spark discussions on the topic of bullying too.