Nam-Huong a Vietnamese refugee grieves the loss of her family and home. Unable to talk about her losses to the kids at school in Australia, she writes her real feelings in letters to her animal friends in Vietnam. Through a friendship with her kind teacher her grief finally finds expression, and her capacity for happiness again begins to unfold. This book is written in the yearning language of a child who has experienced great loss. Though Onion Tears is a refugee story rather than TCK, the grief of loss and moving is very relatable to TCKs and that’s why it is included on this site.
Reading level: age 8-12 years
Though not a TCK story, The Lotus Seed illustrates the preciousness of those special mementos we carry with us to remind us of where we used to live. It’s the story of a young Vietnamese girl who saves a lotus seed and carries it with her to remember her homeland after she flees to America, and her sorrow when she believes she has lost it forever. The story of a woman who adapts to a new way of life without forgetting her past, this book has gorgeous illustrations and a beautiful, poignant story that even teens and adults can appreciate.
Reading level: age 6 to 9 years, and applicable to older children and teens as well.
