Inside Out And Back Again

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟵-𝟭𝟮; 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀

I am sure most educators out here have already read this book by Thanhha Lai. Set against the backdrop of the fall of Saigon, the plot revolves around Hà’s family that leaves Vietnam and enters the US as refugees. However unlike a few recent refugee-related storylines, this novel-in-verse doesn’t portray the US as a promised land where problems get resolved easily once the refugee sets foot.

The bullying, the snapshots of baptism for practical reasons, the endless attempts in trying to fit in were mind boggling. But above all, this is one book that is a must-read if you teach students who are trying to learn English. The inner thoughts of the protagonist will change the hue of your educator-lens. The peek into Hà’s thought process is priceless.

Leads one into a maze of thoughts around how immigrant and EAL kids are viewed, their identities, their insecurities as you try to connect the dots between this book and the contemporary research read elsewhere on bilingualism and identity…