In this sequel to the Newbery Honor book Inside Out and Back Again, Lai delivers a poignant yet sobering verse novel depicting 12-year-old Vietnamese refugee Hà's struggles acclimating to life in the United States. Hà and her brothers have barely gotten used to living in Alabama when they learn they might be relocating to Texas so their mother can seek better work opportunities. Reluctant to leave her best friend Pam ("I scream to myself/ 'Not fair' "), Hà searches for ways to stay in Alabama. She attempts to earn money for the family by growing lantanas and babysitting, but "visions of gliding though/ seventh grade halls/ blending among others" often leads to her using her hard-earned funds to buy herself clothes from Kmart. Hà's loneliness, coupled with guilt over her mother's juggling multiple jobs to save up for a house, powerfully illustrates the sometimes conflicting emotional burdens that immigrant children can face in trying to take on adult responsibilities. Through piercingly spare language that boasts expert rhythm, resonance, and cadence, Lai offers a story of hope and resourcefulness, and a sensitive portrayal of one 12-year-old's life carefully observed. Supporting characters read as white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (May)

In this moving, empathetic follow-up to Lai's National Book Award-winning and Newbery-honored verse novel Inside Out & Back Again (rev. 3/11), we follow another year of changes for Ha, now twelve, and her family, who are Vietnamese refugees. Lai's vibrant first-person poems reflect her protagonist's anxiety and confusion as she's uprooted once again. Her mother moves the family from Alabama to Fort Worth, Texas, for a higher-paying factory job and the dream of purchasing a home. Adolescence looms, too: Ha gets her first period at school, and she's mortified by conversations about boys and kissing. Yet she finds opportunities to grow and navigate her dual identities (what to "Absorb/Ignore"). She becomes more independent, starts a flower-selling business, and even questions the Vietnam War. The 1976 setting -- America's bicentennial -- reinforces the idea that Ha and her family's experiences are just as American as anyone's. Strongly recommended for fans of the first book and readers interested in realistic, hardscrabble immigrant stories. (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 3--7--"The style is called prose poems," Lai prefaces the lyrical sequel to her 2011 National Book Award--winning debut, Inside Out & Back Again. "This is to convey what it's like to think in Vietnamese, a naturally poetic language… I've kept the prose-poem voice… because Vietnamese still swirls inside Hà's mind two years later." Tween Hà is finally feeling settled in Alabama, where she and her brothers arrived with their mother as refugees after fleeing Vietnam. The promise of better opportunities in Texas, however, causes another reluctant uprooting. Again, Hà is "always the only Asian" as she attends her "third sixth grade/ within thirty days." Despite relentless challenges--grueling work, cultural disconnects, always the racism--creating a lasting home together becomes a binding motivator. Vietnamese Irish American Leahy makes her aural debut as Hà's optimal bilingual cipher, effortlessly moving between languages with youthful, hopeful vocalization. VERDICT Libraries should prepare for significant demand in all formats.

In this long-awaited sequel to Inside Out & Back Again (2011), Hà's story of adjusting to life outside of Vietnam continues. Since coming to the United States from Vietnam as a refugee, she has changed and grown in her new country. After finally settling into school and making a friend, Hà is excited to experience an American birthday party. But then her mother announces her plans to move the family from Alabama to Texas in search of new opportunities. Twelve-year-old Hà dreads the thought of starting over once again, but she is eventually outvoted. In Texas, her mother and brother find jobs, and Hà, determined to help, has her own plans to grow and sell plants. At the same time, she navigates the trials of a new school, casual racism and prejudice, and puberty. Through its verse structure, the narration allows Hà's humor and determination to shine through. As she continues to strive to be true to herself, she finds that this means walking an entirely new path, something different from what her mother imagined but also different from the paths of her classmates. Addressing the challenges of making a new life after trauma and war while also exploring the powerful bonds that shape a family, this is a frank and beautiful continuation of Hà's story that is also accessible to readers meeting her for the first time. A strong depiction of both the struggles of refugees and the resilience and love one girl finds within herself. (Verse fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Lai returns to the post--Vietnam War world of Inside Out and Back Again (2011) in this novel in verse, which follows Hà, her mother, and her older brothers during another year of turmoil. Her mother's choice to move the family from Alabama to Texas--a state whose name they cannot pronounce--for a better job uproots them yet again. Lai captures Hà's attempts at acclimation while still yearning for what has been lost. How can she move forward when she discovers things she never knew about, like the My Lai massacre? While rooted in the 1970s, this memoiresque novel captures experiences that refugees in many times and places face: the sense of longing, the confusion, and the family dynamics that shift and change. Readers with older siblings, who support their family in little ways, and those who have struggled with being the "only one" in a classroom will slip easily into Lai's world, though this sequel will come easier to those familiar with Inside Out and Back Again. Ideal for fans of Linda Sue Park, Jasmine Warga, and Andrea Beatriz Arango.