Inside Out And Back Again By Thanhha Lai

Do you know what Refugees are what they do how they live and how they survive. Refugees are people that have to leave there home all because of war, they have to leave and find new ones far away. Before war happened in Vietnam Ha was different she was sneaky because when she went to get groceries she would by fried dough for herself, and she was mean because when she would hide her brothers sandals when she got mad at them. The title of the book makes you wonder a little by the words inside out and back again, the author Thanhha Lai had a good idea for making this book for a history lesson. Refugees like Ha and her family turn back again when they find better home like Ha she stared understanding more.

Thanhha Lai wrote a novel called “Inside Out & Back Again” which is about a little girl and her family in Vietnam, the little girl is named Ha. Ha and her family are in the city of saigon, the story takes place during the Vietnam war and because of the Vietnam war her and her family’s lives are turned “inside out”. But later everything comes “back again” This story relates to the universal refugee’s life because they themselves are turned “ Inside out and back again”.

In the novel, Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai, there are many events that has affected Ha’s mother, due to war. Mother had become unhealthy. She was ruining precious memories and dealing with her husband's death. Ha’s mother would not eat her fair share of food, resulting in her becoming lean and unhealthy. She would give the food to her children, because Mother thought that they needed it more than she did. This was due to not having enough food produced because of war. In the book it states, “Who can go against a mother who has become gaunt like bark…” Another example of how war is affecting Ha’s mother, is that she is burning precious photographs that remind her of her husband and her childhood's, along with her husband’s life.

She usually gets what she wants, but on the ship to go to America things change. Brother Khoi has to get rid of something very valuable to him, his dead baby chick. He gets very upset when he is forced to throw his baby chick in the sea. Ha watches, she sees how upset he is. She goes and gets her favorite doll. To show Brother Khoi how much she cares she throws her doll into the sea. “...I regret not having my doll as soon as the white bundle sinks into the sea” (86). This makes Ha empathetic. She knows what her brother is going through. She becomes more caring. Another way Ha is empathetic is when her teacher tells her she lost her son in the Vietnam war. Ha and her teacher are empathetic for each other because they know how it feels losing someone. “ I had not known of her son Tom or of his death as twenty-year-old soldier in the very place I was born” (200). In Ha’s trip and while she is in America, she becomes

A character in the novel Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai, changes from the beginning of the novel to the end. The character who changes throughout was Ha. Ha is a 10 year-old girl from Vietnam, who had to leave because of Vietnam War. Ha had to move from a place in which she was so comfortable to go to a place where things were unfamiliar and confusing. Two examples of how Ha evolved was becoming more mature and finding different ways to show her intelligence.

"I feel guilty having not once thought of father, I can't wish for him to appear until I know where we'll be"pg.90 This shows a certain maturity form Ha has grown she's understanding she can't just wish for him to appear she's is not where she was, home is gone."I don't know them, so their pain seems unreal."Pg.85 This quote lead me to believe that Ha's character doesn't understand the extent of what’s going on in the story .

Ha is complex. She thinks like a child but still worries like an adult. In the book she says ¨ I wish I could lose my chubby cheeks.¨ This shows that she is still worrying about something that isn't important. In the text she also says ¨I wish my Father would appear in our doorway and make mother's lips cu

All refugees share similar experiences when adjusting to their new way of life. A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. When they have to move to a new country, they may not know the language. So that is an obstacle for them, learning the new language is very difficult. They also have to cope with the things they no longer have and the different culture. They have to get used to this new place and find their own new normal. In the book Inside Out and Back Again Ha and her family have to deal with all the obstacles that come with becoming a refugee.

Ha is a very strong and stubborn character (from Vietnam) who can sometimes throw a fit when things don't go her way….. “But sit under the willow tree and into it scream scream scream I hate everyone!!!” Page 209. This quote shows how upset Ha is, and how hard it is to be in a new country and a new environment. On the other hand, this also shows how Ha is coping in a new place. “I don't blame her, having a daughter who’s either dying of thirst or demanding release.” “Other girls must be made of bamboo.” Page 73. Meaning other girls are less stubborn and easier to handle

Refugee children who feel alone can have low self esteem and feel a sense of sadness. All children want to be accepted by their peers (Fantino and Colak). When a community helps a refugee it makes big impact in their life (Gurung). Everyone deserves to be treated equally despite their differences. Many of us look at differences on the outside, rather than what the person is like on the inside. Ha, in the novel Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, was like many refugees, when she felt alone in her new community. Ha had a hard time finding friends that would accept her differences. Once Ha found her first friends, Pam and Steven, her whole life took a positive turn. She discovered the only way to feel connected to America is to let someone in. Ha, like other refugees, felt disconnected until her peers and community started to accept her.

Ha’s life as a refugee is a life experience is something that only the strong can go through, and her entire family made it. When refugees flee home, it is because of fear that their family will be torn apart by the war when they leave home, family, friends, memories, basically the perspective of the person is leaving what they desired. Then when they finally do find a home, (not all), they are greeted with new challenges, one of many is that acceptance in their new home, some people probably don’t want to make a living in their new home, “But life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not”. But when people turn “inside out” they feel empty inside and everything is useless, they have to start over from square one and become “back again”. When they become happy again and accept what has happened to them, so they can move forward in life. This book is mostly about a girl with her family who was in a war, so they left of fear of being torn apart by the war because they will be safer than where they are at in the moment, Saigon Vietnam, but are greeted with challenges in the Alamba U.S.A.

Ha was stuck in South Vietnam due to immigration laws. She slowly lost everything that was important to her. TiTi, her best friend moved away. Then she had to leave her home and cut down her papaya tree. Finally Her country fell to communism.

H’a a ten year old girl who flees vietnam with her mother and brothers, in hope of escaping the vietnam and building new-and safer-lives for himself in the U.S. Written as a series of short poems, it's a sparse and honest narrative that follows h’a as she leaves today is t^et, first day of the lunar calendar their mother sometimes smile no matter how they feel they hope no one can splash water of joy no matter when we was born for a doubles birthdays now she ten.Now she is Learning embroidered circular but the vietnam war had reached their home,and it was no longer safe .

The literature unit will focus on Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai and Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stand. Students will make connections between the stories, characters, and ideas. Also, identifying the main themes such as bullying, family, acceptances, and fear. The literature unit theme is bullying and use Bullying among Young Children: Strategies for Prevention and other online sources. For the next two months, students will read the stories, explore the main ideas and learn about culture, art, and history.

Ha’s family is trying to flee to North Vietnam because of what is happening in South Vietnam.