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Kira-Kira, Cynthia Kadohata

Kira-Kira is a Newbery Medal winning novel by Cynthia Kadohata. Although Kadohata had previously written other books, Kira-Kira was the first one she wrote for younger audiences.

It wasn’t easy being Japanese and living in America in the 1950s. Katie lives in a small rented house in Iowa with her parents and older sister (and best friend), Lynn. After their Oriental food store goes out of business, the family relocates to Georgia, where her parents find work in the poultry industry. Life is hard. The parents work around the clock under deplorable working conditions in a company owned by the extremely wealthy, powerful, and tyrannical Mr. Lyndon. Katie’s mother wears special pads to work that are designed for urine breakthroughs, because the company doesn’t allow unscheduled bathroom breaks. Her father’s working hours are so long that he often sleeps at the hatchery during the few hours he has between shifts. The mother has another baby, but when babysitting stops being available, Katie and her baby brother sit in their hot car during her mother’s long shifts because they have no place to go and are not allowed in or near the building. They rent a small, cramped apartment and struggle to make ends meet. They are shunned in their community for the work they do and for being Japanese, however, they are an extremely loving and close-knit family. Despite their many hardships, they have each other. Katie and her sister, Lynn, share an unbreakable bond. Lynn teaches Katie about everything under the sun, including the word kira-kira, which means glittering. This becomes Katie’s favorite word and she uses it to describe everything she sees, from butterflies to Kleenex. Lynn teaches Katie to focus on the future, which she promises will be brighter because she is saving to purchase a house for the family. But then, the unthinkable happens. A horrible diagnoses changes everything, and their already difficult lives shatter.

Narrated in Katie’s optimistic voice, Kira-Kira is a story of love, family bonds, loss, and survival. It is a story of racial prejudice, clashing cultures, schoolyard cruelties, the sting of middle school social ranking, and the ever-present line in the sand between the haves and the have-nots. Kadohata interweaves each and every one of these themes into a novel that is a gripping, honest portrayal of life in the deep, rural south during the 1950s. We see a family of undeniable integrity struggling to make it while enduring brutal treatment, followed by an unimaginable tragedy. We see the core of human emotions and vulnerabilities, and the strength to endure and survive.

The family characters in this novel were likable and relatable. The parents were hard-working, honest people who deeply loved and cared about their family. I especially enjoyed the close sisterly relationship between Katie and Lynn. Lynn was the responsible, studious older sister who was always protecting Katie, and guiding her through their world with kindness, time, patience and support. Then there was Katie, the sweet but not so serious little sister. Katie was smart, but unconcerned about grades, had a tendency to be impulsive, and got herself into trouble at times. Yet, she was quite lovable and had an endearing innocence about her, and I loved how Kadohata found ways to insert humor into her dialogs:

Lynn was the bravest girl in the world. She was also a genius. I know this because one day, I asked her, “Are you a genius?” And she said, “Yes.”

As time went on, I enjoyed seeing Katie’s character evolve and mature throughout the book in a coming of age sort of way, and these transitions flowed beautifully. It was easy to become engrossed in this novel. I felt deeply for the characters, and shared their wide range of emotions – anger, sadness, humor, grief, admiration. For young readers navigating the social scene at school, I think this novel is highly relatable as it clearly demonstrates the pain of social hierarchy during this vulnerable stage in life. Kira-Kira is well written, educational and offers a vivid, poignant look at the human spirit and what we will do for those we love. I highly recommend this historical fiction novel for tween and teen readers.

**Purchase Kira-Kira at Amazon here. This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click and purchase the book through this link, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. My opinions remain my own.

Since the publication of Kira-Kira, Cynthia Katohata has written several additional books for young readers that focus on the struggle of Japanese-Americans. If you enjoy Kira-Kira, then I highly recommend The Weedflower, a novel about a young Japanese-American girl living in an internment camp. See my review for Weedflower here.

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you – always. — Oprah Winfrey

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Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata

Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata, is a historical fiction novel for middle school readers. Cynthia Kadohata is a Newbery Award winning author of Kira-Kira. Weedflower is the story of a young Japanese-American girl and her struggles with loss, loneliness, war, racism, and life in an internment camp during the World War II era.

Sumiko was twelve years old and lived on a flower farm in California. She and her little brother had lost their parents years ago in an accident, but they were taken in by their loving and supportive extended family. They all lived and worked together on the flower farm, a job that Sumiko enjoyed. The book opened with Sumiko very excited to be the recipient of a birthday party invitation. As the only Japanese student at her school, she was used to being ignored or teased by other children. So when Marsha, a popular classmate, invited her to a party, Sumiko was thrilled. For the first time in her life, she felt proud and special. When the day finally arrived, Sumiko wanted everything to be perfect. She wore her best dress and brought an expensive and impeccably wrapped present. But everything turned sour the moment she arrived – the moment Marsha’s stunned mother came to the door and saw her. When Marsha invited her whole class to the party, her mother hadn’t realized that a Japanese child was a classmate. She quietly stepped out on the porch, explained to Sumiko her concerns over what her husband and others would think, handed her a piece of cake, and quickly sent the devastated child home.

Life for Sumiko and her family only got worse from there. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed and the United States entered into World War II shortly thereafter. Japanese-Americans, suspected of being spies, were sent to internment camps. Sumiko’s family lost everything they owned and became prisoners. Her new life was on a dusty camp set in a scorching hot Arizona desert, which had previously been an Indian reservation. Barely fed and living under horrible conditions, Sumiko found ways to survive. She planted a flower garden and dreamed of owning her own flower shop someday. She met a young Mohave boy, Frank, who eventually became her first real friend. It was difficult to comprehend the treatment of those imprisoned, but also refreshing to see Sumiko authentically evolve and mature despite the hardships.

Weedflower is the story of a lonely, rejected adolescent girl longing for acceptance in the midst of a world crisis and explosive racial divides. The author’s father was an internment camp survivor, so this is clearly an issue close to her heart and realistically represented throughout the novel. Kadohata gave an honest description of the brutality against incarcerated Japanese-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. These events were presented poignantly, but without being overly graphic in my opinion. Weedflower is well-written, educational, well-paced and age appropriate. Sumiko’s character is sweet, likable, and relatable and I think middle schoolers will connect with her social struggles and desire to belong. I admired her determination to survive and her unwavering empathy despite the circumstances. This novel offers multiple themes – loss, family bonds, friendship, war, the power of perseverance and of course, racism. As we all know, the overall racism themes still apply today as this sadly continues to be an issue in our nation. In light of recent events, including violence against Asian-Americans, it is critical to open a dialog with our youth about these issues, and to keep these conversation going. There is much work to be done and everybody deserves a voice. Weedflower would make a great conversation starter between young people and adults, a platform on which to begin these important dialogs.

I highly recommend Cynthia Kadohata’s Weedflower for middle school students, teachers and parents. Kadohata has written many books for this age group. In an educational setting, an author study on her work would make for rich, engaging discussions. Please see my review of her novel, Kira-Kira. There are several parallels between these two novels. Kira-Kira is a story of another young Japanese-American girl struggling with similar social and discrimination issues, but during a different era. Both novels are thought-provoking and excellent choices for young readers.

This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click the link and purchase the book, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions remain my own. Purchase Weedflower at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2Rf4bw9

“I feel like I speak for many Asian Americans when I say I am fearful, a little angry, and frustrated at the uncertainty of the entire situation.” Benny Luo

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Day of Tears, Julius Lester

Day of Tears, Julius Lester (1939-2018) is a historical fiction novel for teens and tweens, based on actual events. On March 2nd and 3rd of 1859, the largest and most devastating slave auction in American history was held in Savannah, Georgia. Ironically, as soon as the auction began, the skies darkened and heavy thunderstorms ensued. Torrential downpours lingered for two days, ceasing only when the auction ended. Many referred to this as the day God cried, or “the weeping time”. Over 400 slaves were sold. Some families were separated forever, many of whom were denied the chance to even say goodbye. Sobbing children were ripped away from their mothers, couples were separated, human beings were shipped away like cattle, their fates unknown.

Pierce Butler owned a large, inherited plantation and hundreds of slaves in Savannah, Georgia. He had been married to actress and abolitionist Fanny Kemble, but Butler’s need for control and their opposing views on slavery caused the marriage to end in divorce. Pierce used his influence to take custody of their two daughters, Sarah and Francis, but family tensions continued. Francis, eager to please her father, supported slavery. Sarah, like her mother, opposed it. Pierce couldn’t accept Sarah’s views and the two were constantly at odds. Three of Butler’s slaves, Mattie, Will, and Emma were a family that had been with the Butlers for three generations. In Fanny’s absence, Emma was a committed, loving caretaker to the girls, and she bonded deeply with them. Sarah was especially close to Emma, who was like a maternal figure to both girls.

Pierce, once wealthy, lost most of his money gambling. In order to satisfy his debts, he held a massive slave auction and made over $300,000. But his problems were far from over. The auction not only tore slave families apart, but his own as well. The horrible decisions he made during those two days impacted all of them forever, breaking relationships and forever changing the course of his family.

Day of Tears, Julius Lester, is written in the multiple voices of several characters, slaves and owners. This book seamlessly transitions through different points in time, as we hear from some characters as children and then as adults years later. Written in a play/script form, Day of Tears is a fast-paced, smooth, extremely poignant, heavy read. Lester always did a phenomenal job of placing the reader right in the middle of his chapters. I was right there at the auction, standing heartbroken in that sweltering hot, overcrowded stable, breathing in the stench of sweaty bodies, listening to deafening, pelting rain and claps of thunder. Flashes of lightening offered glimpses of trembling slaves, packed like sardines in the stalls, waiting to be sold like meat to the highest bidder, holding their children for the last time. Then there were the finely dressed bidders, fanning themselves, laughing, socializing, acting like over-zealous holiday shoppers celebrating their purchases without a fleeting thought for the human beings in front of them, who were viewed as nothing more than a business transaction. I left a piece of my heart inside this book.

Parents, this book is educational and based on true events in history, but also a heavy and, at some points, disturbing read. I think this book would make a gripping, engaging piece of a slavery study for middle school teachers. However, I recommend using caution given the graphic nature of certain scenes. Day of Tears is extremely well-written, and brings out the emotional side of history because it connects us to the families and real people affected, and we clearly feel their struggles. It serves as a painful reminder of one of the most shameful parts of American history, and how far people will go in the name of greed. I recommend this book for middle school aged readers and adults alike. It would make a great conversation starter about an appalling piece of American history. Rest in peace, Julius Lester, and thank you for giving a voice to the victims of slavery. Nobody deserves it more than them.

To see more of Julius Lester, check out my review of his book, Let’s Talk About Race.

To purchase, click the Amazon link here. This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click this link and purchase the book, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you.

“Man puts manacles on his fellow man; God never.” Lyman Abbot