Last Airlift

February 1, 2012
As Saigon was falling to the North Vietnamese in April 1975, those who were caring for babies and children orphaned by the war worried about the fate of their charges. A series of evacuation flights called "Operation Babylift" carried several thousand young children to other countries around the world. Skrypuch (Daughter of War, 2008) tells the story of the last Canadian airlift through the memories of one child, Son Thi Anh Tuyet. Nearly 8 years old, the sad-eyed girl on the cover had lived nearly all her life in a Catholic orphanage. With no warning, she and a number of the institution babies were taken away, placed on an airplane and flown to a new world. Tuyet's memories provide poignant, specific details. The nuns expected her to be useful; she helped with the babies. Naturally, she assumed that John and Dorothy Morris had chosen her to help with their three children; instead, she had acquired a family. In an afterword, the author describes her research, including personal interviews and newspaper accounts from the time. But Tuyet's experience is her focus. It personalizes the babylift without sensationalizing it. The author has researched carefully and reported accurately, except where South Vietnam's soldiers are called Viet Cong. Immediate and compelling, this moving refugee story deserves a wide audience. (historical note, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 10-15)

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April 1, 2012

Gr 3-6-Tuyet had little memory of her life before going to the orphanage where, at eight, she was one of the oldest children. She ate fish and rice, drank water, and could not remember ever seeing the sky. Her scars were from burns and injuries she could not remember, and polio left her leg weak. In April 1975, Tuyet's life changed forever as she became part of the last Canadian airlift operation to leave Saigon. Along with 56 babies and toddlers, Tuyet was flown first to Hong Kong and then to Canada where she was adopted by a loving family, something she had never known. The author tells Tuyet's story with respect and dignity, introducing readers to a brave girl caught up in the turbulent times of her country, her fears of leaving what she knew, and the joy of finding a new life. Archival and family photos are included throughout, as are a historical note explaining the circumstances surrounding the airlift and an author's note with follow-up information about Tuyet. Her story will appeal to a broad range of readers.-Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2012
Grades 4-8 After years of being kept indoors in a South Vietnamese orphanage, suffering from polio, eating only fish and rice, never playing with toys, and sleeping on the floor in cramped quarters, eight-year-old Tuyet's life changed forever in April 1975. As Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces, she and other children were saved on the last Canadian airlift to leave the city. Tuyet's remarkable true story recounts the heroic rescue on a plane bigger than her orphanage, with babies hurriedly placed in cardboard boxes and an unknown future for all. With new foods, her own bed, eating with a fork, using a toothbrush (instead of her fingers and some salt), walking on grass (instead of rice paddies), and learning that the lights in the nighttime sky are stars instead of bombs, it's Tuyet's adjustment to a foreign land and an adopted family that proves most fascinating. Historical and author's notes provide backstory and information on the research process, while black-and-white photographs from the time period heighten the drama.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)