Text to Self Blog Post 1: Inside Out and Back Again

Have you ever wondered what it was like to live through a famous war? Well, Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai, is a story about a young girl named Ha' who lives in Saigon,Vietnam and, of course, she lived through the Vietnam War. The book begins with her talking about, Tet', the Vietnamese holiday for New Years and the first day of the lunar calendar. She has three older brothers and a mother who is trying to raise all four kids after her husband in the Navy left and never came back. Their theory is that he was kidnapped. Young Ha' talks about her blooming papaya tree who is starting to grow it's first papayas. This tree gives her joy and hope. The sadness of this book is unbelievable from Ha's description of the terrorizing bombs to her fleeing her country to save her and her family with her Uncle Son. The astonishing pictures she captures in my mind is mesmerizing from the time she's at school when bombs start to hit from only a mile away and the descriptions of the things she has to do to keep her family on their feet.

This character reminds me of me because she always has that sense of hope and wonder even when the times get tough. She can also be very stubborn most times, for her mother gets strict with her which happens to me often. I would try and have the courage Ha' does when times get tough and she symbolizes amazing braveness. Ha' also reminds me of myself because of the fights she always gets in with her brothers. I am the same with my sister and certain chapters in the book just take me back to times when I was fighting with my sister just like that.

In this book, I liked the way the author explained certain events and scenes throughout the story and the curiosity of Ha'. This book was very good and I think this book definitely deserves the Newbery Honor award it has won. This book had many twists and turns and had you at the edge of your seat at some points, but mainly had that hope that many people go through when their country is at war. I recommend this book definitely and can"t wait if Thanhha Lai writes any other books like this.