ALWAYS WITH YOU

“Kim, come to me.” “Don’t be afraid.” “I will always be with you.” These three sentences are the only words Kim remembers her mother saying. Only four years old when bombs fall on her village in Vietnam, destroying her home, damaging her eyesight and killing her mother, Kim is brought by kind soldiers to an orphanage in China Beach. Supported by the couple who run the orphanage, over time Kim begins to adjust to her new life, and although she grieves, she makes a new friend, learns to write and starts to play. There is not enough to eat, bombs explode in the distance and she cannot see color; yet she is able to feel safe and secure because she can still hear her mother’s words. Based on a true story, this story documents the hardships of war in a personal way that older children will undoubtedly understand. Includes an author’s note regarding Kim’s travels to the U.S. for surgery and eventual adoption, as well as a general background on the Vietnam War. (Picture book. 8-12)