Kira-Kira

What the blurb says:

My uncle was exactly one inch taller than my father. But his stomach was soft. We knew this because we hit him in it once the year before, and he yelped in pain and threatened to spank us. We got sent to bed without supper because my parents said hitting someone was the worst thing you could do. Stealing was second, and lying was third.


Before I was twelve, I would have committed all three of those crimes. --- Kate Takeshima

What I learned from the book:

This work of art by Cynthia Kadohata is truly kira-kira. Kira-kira means glittering in Japanese. Now some may say that I am misusing the word, but that's how I feel about this book. The language and the texture of the book shines out even in its simplicity. Reading it was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot of Japanese words from this book and Kira-kira gives you a vicarious experience of what's it like to love a sister, to adore a little brother, and what's it like to fail, and also to succeed.

This book is a winner of the John Newberry Gold Medal and I am very happy to have read such a wonderful piece of literature. Thank you Scholastic Inc., for giving me a free copy of this book. The book was very moving.

Favorite excerpt:

I saw my father was not intimidated by Mr. Lyndon. And that was how I learned that even when you're very, very wrong, if you apologize, you can still hold yourself with dignity. --- Kate Takeshima

Words I learned:

katsu --- triumph
Shizukani! --- Hush!
ochazuke --- green tea mixed with rice
Sodi Boshi --- Orion
onigiri --- rice balls
Natsuko --- Summer
Akiko --- Autumn
usagi --- rabbit
hakujin --- white man
hatsuyume --- first dream of the new year