An Unforgettable Read!

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lai

Source: Amazon

There was something about the cover that first caught my attention. My young reading companions at the Young Readers' Club, often remind me that one must not judge a book by its cover. That includes even positive judgements :)). I found this book thankfully in Kahaani Box library and I knew I had to pick it up. The book is set in Vietnam, during the war to be specific. Being a children's book, it offers insight into even more interesting aspects of growing up in Vietnam, being forced to leave and seek refuge in the U.S and all that comes with what is said to be a hopeful solution.

Why is a children's book set in war time?

Do children really need to read about the gruesomeness of wars? If that's a question coming up in your mind, allow me to put your mind at ease. Just like any other children's book set in times of war, the content is written to suit children. No where would a young reader read about any kind of violence. The war is happening in the background and it influences the lives of common, ordinary people, lives of young children too. To get a child's perspective of how a war happening far away can affect daily lives so much, is an important insight into human history. A chance to ponder about the futility of war itself. Every action has consequences, sometimes far reaching ones too.

To get a child's perspective of how a war happening far away can affect daily lives so much, is an important insight into human history. A chance to ponder about the futility of war itself. Every action has consequences, sometimes far reaching ones too.

Learning a little about Vietnam, their food and culture as a bonus in a middle grade novel

The world is an interesting place. There is so much diversity in the food we eat and the cultural traditions that we believe in. There is so much we can learn from each other.

Hà, the protagonist and the narrator who tells the reader her story, is a little girl with many elder brothers. She talks about simple sources of joy such as watching the papaya tree grow and wait for her favorite fruit to emerge. She talks about celebrating festivals and the feeling of being home, even though there is a war going on far away. But that's not for long. They must leave on a long ship journey to the U.S for a better life. What does life in the U.S look like? She didn't have access to a variety of American TV shows to even get an imaginary glimpse. All she had was her experience of watching Clint Eastwood movies with Cowboys, translated into Vietnamese.

Moving away from Vietnam meant learning English, as quickly as possible. To be able to read and write proficiently takes time. She wasn't prepared to see people who looked very different from her. If that wasn't enough, she had to learn to fit into a new school with children who looked different from her. Finding one friend to giggle and play with was out of question.

Food is another matter. Being accustomed to freshly cooked meat or fish, eating frozen meat is alien and hard to get used to. But there is little choice.

This book is a story of survival against the odds. It is also about enabling children to understand how the tiniest of actions can have consequences. Being kind towards another person is the best one can possibly do. What could be a better way to teach that simple, yet important lesson, that than a beautifully written children's book?

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The Young Readers' Club is a book club for the 8-12 age group. We also do vocabulary building activities and mini writing lessons for a little variety!

Writing programs for the 9-12 age group- Young Writers' Club Jr.  

The Young Writers' Club program for the 13-16 age group offers a weekly platform to read and discuss curated articles from the news, observe writing approaches and practise one's writing skills.

NEW! Tween Tribune  is an online magazine for the Young Writers' Club (Jr.) program for tweens. Weekly updates of our discussions are published. Once in 6 months, the best of writing by the tween members is made available to read.

 NEW! Musings from the Young Writers' Club is an online magazine showcasing the work we do at the Young Writers' Club.