Content: G (threats only)
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
When the Vietnam War ends and the communists take over Laos, 11yo Goa Sheng and her family must flee their beautiful home in Laos. If their father is captured by the new government, he will probably be executed for working with the Americans. The group misses the last plane out of Laos and instead shuffle from refugee camp to refugee camp for the next year - first in hope that they will be able to return to Laos, and then hoping that they will be able to immigrate to safety and a new home.
PLEASE STOP WRITING NOVELS IN VERSE. They are not poetic; they do not give the story the depth it deserves. That being said, I loved seeing another side of the Vietnam war from the point of view of Laotian people. Gao Sheng, who is based on Bidania’s oldest sister, is a character worth meeting. Both historical fiction and large-looking fiction are hard to sell to middle school students, but it is worth taking your time to find readers.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
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