"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.

When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lai is the sequel to Inside Out and Back Again. I did not read the first book and don't feel I missed anything by not reading it.

The cover is great. It took me a bit to understand how the book and story were laid out. But once I could get past that, I really enjoyed the story and following along with Ha and her family, who moved from Alabama to Texas.

I loved Ha's story and getting a glimpse into her culture and family life. An excellent book for families to read together.

I would recommend this book, and I may check out the first book, also.

#WhenCloudsTouchUs #NetGalley @HarperChildrens

In this novel in verse sequel to Inside Out and Back Again, we find Ha and her family moving from Alabama to Texas where Ha is starting in a new school for the third time. While her brothers and mother work, Ha tries making friends which is hard, and the apartment manager asks her to babysit two children. Ha saves her money and she and her brothers give their work savings to mom. What does she do with it?

Though it's been over 6 years since I read "Inside Out and Back Again," this book drew me right back in to Ha's life. Though I have little in common with Ha, I love her story and find myself soaking in her culture, her relationships with her mother and brother, and the way she is constantly having to adapt. Inspiring story that gives students insight into another young one's life.
Note to parents/educators: one allusion to a menstrual cycle