Book summary

Dreamy, imaginative, and fearlessly observant, Lynn is a golden combination of older sister, best friend, and personal hero for Katie, who is four years younger. Katie's earliest word, "kira-kira," meaning "glittering" in Japanese, is Lynn's favorite, and the source of many discussions about what--the sea, sky, and eyes, especially--best merits this treasured adjective. Exceptionally close, the Takeshima sisters spent time playing in corn fields around their Iowa home, and scheming about the sky-blue house they longed to own before the loss of the family store drove them to stay with relatives in Georgia, a hostile place for Japanese-Americans in the 1950s. With both parents working punishing hours at the bleak, oppressive poultry plant, Katie must care for Lynn when she begins a long, harrowing fight with lymphoma. As Katie struggles to remain buoyant in a wash of sadness, the notion of "kira-kira" becomes more important than ever. Winner of the 2005 Newbery Medal.

Media reviews

"Readers drawn to confident prose and strong family stories will appreciate this quietly lyrical account of the growth of a young girl."