Going Home, Coming Home

Bilingual English/Vietnamese. This summer, Ami Chi is taking a trip to far off Vietnam, where the streets are crowded with zipping scooters and fruit is shaped like dragons and stars.

To her parents, Vietnam is still home-a home they haven't seen since they left during the war. But all this talk of going back home leaves Ami Chi confused. How can you go back home to a place you've never been?

Ami Chi finds her answer in the rolling green rice paddies that blanket the countryside, in the bustling Cho Lon market, and in the quiet rooms of her grandmother's house. Vietnam may be nothing like America, but some things-like the help of a new friend-make this strange place feel familiar. Before long, Ami Chi finds that sometimes, you can travel farther than you ever thought possible and still find yourself at home.

Poet Truong Tran uses delicate, lyrical prose to craft this tender story of leaving and finding places that make up who we are. Ann Phong's lush paintings complete this unforgettable journey with vibrant color and loving detail.