Oh, now this one is a tear-jerker. Kira-Kira is a Newbery Medal Winner, and I can definitely see why. The story takes place in the 1950s when Katie and the rest of her Japanese-American family move from Iowa to Georgia when Katie is just in kindergarten. Her parents work in terrible conditions and endure impossible hours in a poultry plant and hatchery. Even so, they somehow manage to create a loving, stable home for their three children: Lynn, Katie, and Sammy. Katie’s trust in, and admiration for her older sister Lynn never falters, even when her sisterly advice doesn’t seem to make sense. Lynn teaches Katie to see how everyday things are kira-kira (glittering, sparkling in Japanese). The two girls dream of buying a house for the family someday and even save $100 in candy money. Lynn develops lymphoma, but Katie tries her best to see Lynn's kira-kira outlook on life as Lynn's condition gets worse. This book should be in every library media center collection because of its honest portrayal of life for a family of different cultural background. The narrator (Katie) has such an honest, transparent voice that allows the reader to become greatly involved in the characters and the plot.
Another one of my favorite reads for this class!
No comments:
Post a Comment