Genre/Subject: Realistic Fiction, Multicultural
Ages: 10-14
Plot: The story is told in first person, by thirteen-year old Katie Takeshima, about her family's struggles as Japanese-Americans in the 1950s. The story is set in Iowa where her parents own a small Oriental grocery store, that is failing. The family leaves Iowa and moves to a Japanese community in southern Georgia where both of her parents work in a chicken hatchery. Each member of the family faces racism throughout the novel. Her mother becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy, named Samson Ichira, which forces her mother to return to work. To take care of Samson, a neighbor and after-school help from sisters Lynn and Katie. The family continues to labor. Meanwhile, Lynn does great in school, but Katie does not. Katie's character has many weaknesses. She commits the three most things her parents belive to be the worst: hitting someone, stealing, and lying. She is not able to see kira-kira. Lynn is the big sister, who is bright and encouraging Kate to be better at something. Lynn teaches Katie about kira-kira which is finding something pleasant or satisfying in a difficult world (in the sky, in the sea, and in people's eyes). Soon, Lynn's heath begins to fail, and she is diagnosed with lymphoma. Lynn dies, but her death unites the family closer together. Katie's father suggests a family vacation. The family travels to California, and exprience the Pacific Ocean together. Katie feels happy because in the ocean waves she can hear her sister's voice calling "kira-kira".
Review: There is strong family structure in this book. The idea that life is hard is well presented in the book, through hard work, but also racism and discrimination. This book teaches that we can exprience pleasure even when times are hard. It is important for tweens to read about other's difficult situations. This forces them to think about hardships faced by characters in past times, and living in different locations. Through this book tweens will awknowlege the lives of others and reexamine thier own lives. This is an honest story with autobiographical elements from the author, which makes the story read like a memoir. In addtion, the characters are bleieveable. A realistic display of the condicitons and values in a Japanese home and experiences in the workplace. The story also adds humor to lighten the sad events.
Awards:
2005 Newbery Award
Ages: 10-14
Plot: The story is told in first person, by thirteen-year old Katie Takeshima, about her family's struggles as Japanese-Americans in the 1950s. The story is set in Iowa where her parents own a small Oriental grocery store, that is failing. The family leaves Iowa and moves to a Japanese community in southern Georgia where both of her parents work in a chicken hatchery. Each member of the family faces racism throughout the novel. Her mother becomes pregnant and gives birth to a boy, named Samson Ichira, which forces her mother to return to work. To take care of Samson, a neighbor and after-school help from sisters Lynn and Katie. The family continues to labor. Meanwhile, Lynn does great in school, but Katie does not. Katie's character has many weaknesses. She commits the three most things her parents belive to be the worst: hitting someone, stealing, and lying. She is not able to see kira-kira. Lynn is the big sister, who is bright and encouraging Kate to be better at something. Lynn teaches Katie about kira-kira which is finding something pleasant or satisfying in a difficult world (in the sky, in the sea, and in people's eyes). Soon, Lynn's heath begins to fail, and she is diagnosed with lymphoma. Lynn dies, but her death unites the family closer together. Katie's father suggests a family vacation. The family travels to California, and exprience the Pacific Ocean together. Katie feels happy because in the ocean waves she can hear her sister's voice calling "kira-kira".
Review: There is strong family structure in this book. The idea that life is hard is well presented in the book, through hard work, but also racism and discrimination. This book teaches that we can exprience pleasure even when times are hard. It is important for tweens to read about other's difficult situations. This forces them to think about hardships faced by characters in past times, and living in different locations. Through this book tweens will awknowlege the lives of others and reexamine thier own lives. This is an honest story with autobiographical elements from the author, which makes the story read like a memoir. In addtion, the characters are bleieveable. A realistic display of the condicitons and values in a Japanese home and experiences in the workplace. The story also adds humor to lighten the sad events.
Awards:
2005 Newbery Award
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