Journey Home

by Lawrence McKay

Book Overview

A biracial girl gains a new sense of identity when she travels to Vietnam with her mother.

Mai is excited about traveling to Vietnam with her mother. Mom wants to search for her birth family and Mai wants to help solve the mystery.

Mai has never been to her mother's homeland, and she wonders what being there will reveal. Will learning about her mother's past help her gain a new sense of identity? Is her "real" home in America...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1584300051
• ISBN13: 9781584300052
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 9.0" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

A fabulous book

Highly recommended. A mother and daughter visit the mother's birthplace in Vietnam, learning the story behind the kite which means so much to the daughter and the facts of the mother's earliest years. Touching and meaningful, this book is terrific for children and adults from age 7 and up. Used in our school for discussions around Vietnam, war, and multiculturalism.

Touching story of a search for roots

This is a good story about an important topic - a woman's search for her birthfamily. Two small things bothered me: First, the narrator calls the American (grand)father the woman's "Foster Father". A child adopted from Vietnam would not have been a foster child; therefore the correct term would be "Adoptive Father". Second, the main character prays to a goddess in Vietnam. This is probably realistic but for my children it is not something I want to encourage. Aside from those small flaws, I found this to be a touching and important book.

Lovely story, beautifully illustrated!

This is a great book for all the children whose lives are touched by adoption. The wonderful illustrations accurately capture the beauty of Vietnam. We are thoroughly enjoying this book!