Katie Takeshima is a Japanese-American girl who grows up in Georgia in the 1950s, and her older sister Lynn teaches her the word "kira-kira," meaning glittering, as a way of seeing the world. The family moves from Iowa to a small town in Georgia, where her parents work long hours in a poultry plant and a hatchery, and where they face prejudice. When Lynn becomes ill, the family faces a crisis. Cynthia Kadohata narrates in Katie's voice, with attention to the family's money problems and the bond between the sisters.
It's a middle-grade novel for children from about ten and for older readers who like a moving story about family, labor and racism. It reads quickly and has a lasting emotional effect.
Inward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2004
- Language
- EN
