Kira-Kira

(Hardback)

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Description

A Japanese-American family struggles to build a new life in the Deep South of Georgia in this luminous novel, winner of the Newbery Medal.

kira-kira (kee' ra kee' ra): glittering; shining
Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future.
Luminous in its persistence of love and hope, Kira-Kira is Cynthia Kadohata's stunning debut in middle-grade fiction.

Reviews

"An unforgettable story."

-- "San Diego Union-Tribune"

-- "Publishers Weekly, " starred review

-- "Booklist, " starred review

Author Bio

Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Medalwinning bookKira-Kira,the National Book Award winnerThe Thing About Luck, the Jane Addams Peace Award and PEN America Award winnerWeedflower,Cracker!,Outside Beauty,A Million Shades of Gray,Half a World Away,Checked,APlace to Belong, Saucy, and several critically acclaimed adult novels, includingThe Floating World. She lives with her dogs and hockey-playing son in California. Visit her online at CynthiaKadohata.com.