Temple Alley Summer

(Hardback)

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Age range 9 to 13

From renowned Japanese childrens author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure filled with the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko featuring beautiful illustrations from Miho Satake.

Kazu knows something odd is going on when he sees a girl in a white kimono sneak out of his house in the middle of the nightwas he dreaming Did he see a ghost Things get even stranger when he shows up to school the next day to see the very same figure sitting in his classroom. No one else thinks its weird, and, even though Kazu doesnt remember ever seeing her before, they all seem convinced that the ghost-girl Akari has been their friend for years!

When Kazus summer project to learn about Kimyo Temple draws the meddling attention of his mysterious neighbor Ms. Minakami and his secretive new classmate Akari, Kazu soon learns that not everything is as it seems in his hometown. Kazu discovers that Kimyo Temple is linked to a long forgotten legend about bringing the dead to life, which could explain Akaris sudden appearanceis she a zombie or a ghost Kazu and Akari join forces to find and protect the source of the temple's power. An unfinished story in a magazine from Akaris youth might just hold the key to keeping Akari in the world of the living, and its up to them to find the storys ending and solve the mystery as the adults around them conspire to stop them from finding the truth.

'This imaginative tale, enchantingly written and charmingly illustrated by veteran Japanese creators for young people, has a timeless feel. Its captivating blend of humor and mystery is undergirded with real substance that will provoke deeper contemplation. Udagawas translation naturally and seamlessly renders the text completely accessible to non-Japanese readers. An instant classic filled with supernatural intrigue and real-world friendship.' Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

'This charming story is both a layered, profound reflection on living life with purpose and a funny, suspenseful book with all the hallmarks of classic middle-grade literature.' Lauren Simeon, Kirkus Reviews

Reviews

Praise for Temple Alley Summer:

This imaginative tale, enchantingly written and charmingly illustrated by veteran Japanese creators for young people, has a timeless feel. Its captivating blend of humor and mystery is undergirded with real substance that will provoke deeper contemplation. Udagawas translation naturally and seamlessly renders the text completely accessible to non-Japanese readers. An instant classic filled with supernatural intrigue and real-world friendship.

Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review, Best Middle Grade Fiction of 2021

When an author and an illustrator with ties to books adapted into renowned Studio Ghibli masterpieces such as Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away join forces on a middle-grade fantasy adventure, you can count on it being something truly special.... Heartwarming with a supernatural touch, this beautifully captures the magic of childhood.

Kristina Pino, Booklist, Starred Review

A humorous yet thoughtful mystery chock-full of the fantastical, this is a must-read for young fans of Studio Ghiblian especially warranted comparison, as another book by Kashiwaba served as inspiration for Spirited Away. Lovingly translated into English from the original 2011 text, this version is completely accessible to an English-language audience while retaining a classic Japanese sensibility and storytelling style. Highly recommended.

School Library Journal

A sweet ghost story, a mystery, an eerie and unsettling story-within-a-story: Finally, the work of the great Sachiko Kashiwaba, one of Japan's most revered children's authors, is available in English translation! I'm so pleased that young people who read in English can now enjoy Kashiwaba's Temple Alley Summer, and experience the pleasure and wonder of viewing the world from a less familiar angle.

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author

Imbued with a delightfully old-fashioned atmosphere, Temple Alley Summer gives its readers a wonderful glimpse of Japanese culture and traditions. And while the inner story has its scary moments, the outer one does not. The two tales form a satisfying and surprisingly deep whole that addresses questions of life, death, meaning, and friendship, all wrapped up in a supernatural summertime mystery.

Nanette McGuinness, Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

Fans of Hayao Miyazaki will love Temple Alley Summer, which takes a series of supernatural turns as young Kazu seeks to discover the truth about a mysterious classmate and help her learn the end to an unfinished story. This beguiling taleskillfully translated and charmingly illustratedimparts haunting, hopeful lessons about second chances and what it means to fully embrace life.

Leza Lowitz, author of Up from the Sea and Jet Black and the Ninja Wind

"What a thrilling discovery this book is. There are unexplained legends, ghosts, and plenty of twists and turns to keep those pages flying, but at its heart its a story about a sensitive boy who wants to do the right thing, even when things get strange and his ordinary life is suddenly filled with the most unsettling mysteries. Its a story about friendship and about believing, and a thoroughly captivating read."

Daniel Hahn, award-winning translator and author

Utterly enchanting! Part mystery, part ghost story, this magical tale has the makings of a classic.

Suzanne Kamata, author of Pop Flies, Robo-Pets, and Other Disasters

[Kazus] search for answers pushes him out of his comfort zone and has him face deep questions on death and morality. In this absorbing, multi-layered story, the past, the present and an unfinished fairy tale are all satisfyingly connected. Though not scary, the uncanniness of the situation lingers. This bewitching book makes me hope more of Sachiko Kashiwaba's works will be translated into English.

Suzanne Morgan, Politics and Prose (Washington, DC)

This middle-grade novel exemplifies the joys of reading children's books in translation: experiencing cultures other than one's own. Kids familiar with Japanese culture from Studio Ghibli films, though, will feel right at home in this contemporary ghost story. I hope the authors other works will be translated into English as well!

Robin Stern, Books Inc. (Campbell, CA)

Its summer break! Theres time for fun and friends, but Kazu has decided to investigate a paranormal occurrence tied to the history of his street, Temple Alley. Complete with a story within a story, this summertime sleuth is mischievous and magical.

Cat Chapman, Oxford Exchange (Tampa, FL)

I loved the ghost girl, Akari, and the genuine Kazu. This could be a read-aloud or a standalone book. One of my SUMMER PICKS!!!

Kira Wizner, Merritt Bookstore (Millbrook, NY)

Author Bio

Sachiko Kashiwaba is a prolific writer of childrens and young adult fantasy whose career spans more than four decades. Her works have garnered the prestigious Sankei, Shogakukan, and Noma childrens literature awards, and her novel The Mysterious Village Veiled in Mist influenced Hayao Miyazakis film Spirited Away. Her works have recently been animated as the films The Wonderland and The House of the Lost on the Cape, and her novel Temple Alley Summer, illustrated by Miho Satake and translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa, won the American Library Associations 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award. She lives in Morioka, Iwate. Avery Fischer Udagawa grew up in Kansas and studied English and Asian Studies at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She holds an M.A. in Advanced Japanese Studies from The University of Sheffield. She has studied at Nanzan University, Nagoya, on a Fulbright Fellowship, and at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies, Yokohama. She writes, translates, and works in international education near Bangkok, where she lives with her bicultural family. Miho Satake is a Japanese artist and illustrator. She is best known for illustrating the Japanese editions of several classic childrens books including Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, three books in the Kikis Delivery Service series by Eiko Kadono, and the twentieth-anniversary edition of the Harry Potter series.