When Clouds Touch Us is the follow up to Inside Out and Back Again. This story picks up when Ha arrives in the United States. Ha's family has its fair share of challenges to overcome in this book. While it was good to reconnect with familiar characters, I found this book harder to connect to. I still think readers will enjoy catching up to see what Ha has been up to.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This title is a sequel to the author’s book Inside Out and Back Again, which wowed me and my fifth graders at the time.

This sequel is pure magic. Written in stunningly beautiful prose poetry, it follows Ha as she and her family must uproot once again. The storyline blends the very familiar experience of growing up and trying to fit in with the unique experience of a refugee family struggling to make a strange place home. When the Clouds Touch Us is a novel that will stick with readers for a long time.

This book is the sequel to Inside Out and Back Again. I loved being able to continue reading Ha’s story as she moves yet again and continues to learn English. This novel in verse is a quick read, perfect for reluctant readers and a must add to any middle grade classroom library.

The book is written in a poetic style. It tells about Ha, who’s trying her best as well as her family to make a life as refugees. They arrive in Alabama and later Ha's mom wants to move so she can get a better job and life. The book is a great read, especially when it is said in a poetic format. It also tells about getting a new life in another country during war.

Thanks to the publishers at HarperCollins and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.

I loved going back into the life of this family and their struggles and victories of coming to a new country full of new challenges. This is a great story of resilience and triumph. The poetry adds to the story helping to pain the picture.

I loved Inside Out and Back Again and was so excited to read this one. I found this one harder to follow and I just never quite connected with the character like I did in the first book. Still a good read and I love the style!

I had read the first book in this duology a while ago, but when I saw the second book, I knew I had to sign up. The first book was so touching. It was actually recommended to me by a friend, and I loved it. This next one tackles the changes that come when Hà’s mother decides to leave and start again in Texas.
I love the honesty in this book. It doesn’t shy away from the real struggles Hà and her family faces. They are starting over again, and everything is changing again. It was sweet to watch them grow as a family and also change as a family. As the youngest, Hà is staying in place, but her brothers are leaving. This book focuses on the strong bond between Hà and her mother.
This is written in verse, and it does require a little more attention. A lot of things are metaphorical in the writing, which makes it even more beautiful. Hà is starting over with a new school full of people who again do not look like her. She’s a very relatable heroine, and in verse, the book is even more heartbreaking. You feel all of her emotions.
I love how it tells the immigrant story not necessarily in order but more in pictures of what life looks like for them. It’s such an interesting format that will stretch readers. I would definitely recommend it to any middle grade readers but especially the ones who come from immigrant families.
Content Warning: Hà’s school mistakenly thinks she is being abused by her family because of her scars. The situation is smoothed over, but the school does not believe her mother

Highlights:
Strong mother character
Realistic immigrant experience
Traditional values
Strong family bonds
Importance of staying true to your heritage


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

This novel in verse picks up where the first book left off with Ha, a refugee from Vietnam, in Alabama. I haven’t read the first book but will now! It’s easy to pickup where she’s at.

Her mother and 2 brothers think about moving to Texas where there is more demand for needlework.

She’s given some responsibility of being a traffic monitor. She lobbies to be her schools’ “Asian expert”. Her friend, Pam, and her mom help out.

They move to Texas then move again to a different rental then again to a house. She meets a short term friend who is an immigrant, Diggy.

She struggles with friends, fitting in, learning English, moving, being different in a beautiful way.

This is one of those books where you have to read the first one in the series to understand what is happening. I have read Inside Out and Back again, and I still felt this book was choppy. I stayed with it through the end but I struggled to get into it. It was just kind of meh for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for advance copy for review.

In this sequel to Inside Out and Back Again we follow Ha as her family, refugees from Saigon, as they have moved to the US and are adapting to a new way of life.

The novel in verse format is very appealing to middle graders. Inside Out and Back Again is one that I have recommended to many kids and they have all loved it. I see When Clouds Touch Us being a hit in the classroom as well. I can't wait to share it with the kids.

This beautiful children's story is written in poetic prose format, making it feel special and mimicing the cadence of the Vietnamese language.

In this sequel, Ha's family has moved to the US and they are all adapting to their new life. Mother works long hours in a factory, brother has a job that takes him away from home and Ha is trying to make friends at school.

This story is in a journal entry format and gives us a glimpse into th mind of Ha.

5 stars

To know Ha and her family is to love Ha and her family, so any reader coming in post- _Inside Out and Back Again_ should be prepared to be just as hooked on this as they were on the first installment. While this can be read as a standalone, I heartily recommend reading both books to fully appreciate the magic that Lai creates here.

Readers meet Ha, who continues to serve as a compelling m.c., as she is about to celebrate her birthday. She is thriving in Alabama, and all of her (and our!) favorites are around to greet us at the beginning of the book. However, the central drama of this piece is an impending move. They may not be switching countries this time, but it’s still heart wrenching to see the family have to start over again. The good news is that we know - with certainty - they CAN, and it is a pleasure to watch the characters face and overcome obstacles and continue to grow as individuals and as a unit.

I absolutely love _Inside Out and Back Again_ and have taught it for years because students respond so positively to it. I can’t wait to be able to recommend this one (enthusiastically!) with it!

When Clouds Touch Us is the sequel to Inside Out and Back Again. Just as Hà has figured out school, friendships, and living in her Alabama town, her mom announces the family is moving to Texas. In addition to a new job opportunity, there is also the opportunity to have a home of their own. Hà is understandably upset and weary about starting over. The book is written in three parts, covering the difficult decision to move, transition to life in Texas, and changing family dynamics. I enjoyed reading about Hà's journey of coming into her own whilst navigating cultural and family expectations. Hà is a character you can't help but root for - she is curious, perceptive, and hopeful.

When Clouds Touch Us is a beautifully written sequel recounting Hà’s experiences as a refugee. Eye-opening, heart-stirring, mind-sharpening.

I really enjoyed this book! The story was really good and I loved the characters! I hope to read more by this author in the future. The poems were quiet lovely!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and to the author for the ARC!

I was so excited to see there would be a sequel to Inside Out and Back Again. This book did not disappoint! I love the beautiful use of language. I can’t wait to share with my students.

When Clouds Touch Us
by Thanhhà Lai
Pub Date 09 May 2023
HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperCollins
Children's Fiction


I am reviewing a copy of When Clouds Touch Us through HarperCollins Children's Fiction and Netgalley:


Ha and her family have been working hard to make a life for themselves in the US, but it hasn’t come easy. Hà has only just started to feel settled when Mother decides that the family will move to Texas for a new job.


Ha is aware of how hard it is to start over, having been in that place before, and she doesn't want to have to move and start over . Sometimes though even an unwanted change can bring opportunity, new friends, and a place to call home.



This lyrical and compelling novel is sequel to the National Book Award Medalist and Newbery Honor winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel Inside Out and Back Again follows Hà and her family through another year of upheaval, growth, and love.


I give When Clouds Touch Us five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

"When Clouds Touch Us" is a novel in verse portraying the life of a refugee family fleeing North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Ha, a 12 year old, with her three older brothers and mother, do everything they can to save enough money to rent a home and afford food and necessities. The manage this will also struggling to learn a new language and culture in the American South. Ha's family is forced to move from Alabama to Texas and bemoans the fact that she has attended three different schools for 6th grade. While moving to a new state is challenging for any child, Lai is able to detail the struggles that are particularly difficult for an immigrant who has been able to overcome language and cultural barriers to make friends and then be forced to leave them behind. While this novel is a lovely historical novel in prose, it is also difficult to work through with the meaning often obscured by English translated from Vietnamese. It definitely gives the reader the feeling of living inside Ha's head, but doesn't allow for clarity in understanding for the average reader.

I found this book a little hard to follow. However, I enjoyed the novel in verse format and think middle grade readers will as well.

This is another beautiful look into Ha's life in another new place. Lai has such a way with words and the story just flows. Ha struggles with making friends and her family is still struggling, but we still see how they have hope.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.