This novel is a John Newberry Medal Winner. It takes place in Iowa in the 1950's. Katie is a girl who lives with her parents and her older sister Lynn, whom she looks up to very much. Her parents' Japanese supermarket goes out of business and their family ends up moving to Georgia. Part of the book is about her transition in being accustomed to a new culture. Most of the book, however, is about dealing with grief. The book takes a serious tone when Lynn is diagnosed with lymphoma. Her personality becomes affected by this as does her relationships with her family. She dies, and the family is left to deal with their enormous loss. Kira Kira is a saying that means glittering, and this saying reminds Katie to always look for the positive and magical things about life.
OverOverall, the book would be a wonderful tool to discuss grief and dealing with hard circumstances in life. It is very sad, so it would have to be given to a mature group of students or maybe specifically recommended to a student. The author does a wonderful job of incorporating things about Japanese culture, showing how the family deals with the loss of their daughter and sister. Ultimately it is a positive book that could open and allow for interesting class discussion.
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