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I Love Books

try out Kira-kira by Cynthia Kadohata.
I'm sorry if misspelled her name.
irishgal86
whats it about
iChange · 26-30, F
wait... i'll get you the synopsis
iChange · 26-30, F
Kira-kira is a Japanese word that describes things that glitter. It is Katie Takeshima's first word taught to her by her older sister Lynn as they lie in the empty road outside their house looking at the stars. Lynn teaches Katie everything worth knowing. When their family moves from their Japanese community in Iowa to Georgia, Lynn is the one who must explain why some of the other children won't talk to them at school.

In 1956, Lynn is 9 and Katie is 5 when the family moves from a Japanese community in Iowa to the rural Deep South of Chesterfield, Georgia. Mr. And Mrs. Takeshima take jobs in local chicken hatcheries where shifts are long and work conditions are poor. In addition to welcoming a baby brother (Sam) and adjusting to their new roles as latch-key kids, Lynn and Katie contend with racial discrimination and borderline poverty. Yet, even in the face of these adversaries, nothing seems difficult or impossible for Lynn. Her handwriting is neat, her report card is an unwavering stream of straight A's, and her future is "kira-kira." Katie strains unsuccessfully to live up to Lynn's example. As Lynn enters her teen years, the sisters drift apart and Katie struggles with middle-child loneliness.

The title of Kadohata's fiction debut means “glittering” in Japanese. Lynn and Katie Takeshima use “kira-kira” to describe all the subtle wonders of being alive, from boxes of Kleenex to the light that dances in a person's eyes. For the Takeshima sisters, “kira-kira” is the heartbeat of hope, everything worth seeing and remembering.

 
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