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    Kira - Kira
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    Kira - Kira
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    Kira - Kira
    Audiobook4 hours

    Kira - Kira

    Written by Cynthia Kadohata

    Narrated by Elaina Erika Davis

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    kira-kira (kee' ra kee' ra): glittering; shining

    Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on the street to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering-kira-kira-in the future.

    Luminous in its persistence of love and hope, Kira-Kira is Cynthia Kadohata's stunning debut in middle-grade fiction.


    From the Package edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 12, 2005
    ISBN9780307281876
    Author

    Cynthia Kadohata

    Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning book Kira-Kira, the National Book Award winner The Thing About Luck, the Jane Addams Peace Award and PEN America Award winner Weedflower, Cracker!, Outside Beauty, A Million Shades of Gray, Half a World Away, Checked, A Place to Belong, Saucy, and several critically acclaimed adult novels, including The Floating World. She lives with her dogs and hockey-playing son in California. Visit her online at CynthiaKadohata.com.

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    Reviews for Kira - Kira

    4/5

    659 ratings58 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The Takeshima's are a Japanese-American family that lived in Iowa, then move to Georgia. The parents work incredible hours to provide for their children: Lynn, Katie and Sammy. All three siblings are close, but the girls have a very special relationship. Katie narrates the story of the lessons learned from her family. Those lessons become invaluable when tragedy strikes them.The gold sticker indicating that this was a Newbery Medal Book caught my eye, so I brought it home not knowing anything about it. I've seen reviews but haven't read them - maybe I should have, because unfortunately, I really didn't care for it all that much. The narration and characters were fine, but the whole story line was drab and on this rainy day I didn't feel like listening to gloomy text. (2.75/5)Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
    • 4/5
      Any interesting book about Japanese American immigrants. I found the main character of this book unbelievable. She seems to be too stupid, The story was entertaining.
    • 5/5
      I don't know what to say about this book that won't make it seem like I'm just gushing about it because 'diversity'. This book is about a Japanese American family that tries to find success in the 1950s. Katie Takeshima narrates her life as a 11 year old and one of only 30 Japanese people in her city. Her older sister Lynn is her best friend and as they adjust to living Georgia they also gain a little brother named Samson and thick southern accent. Life goes on and Katie has to learn how to live it. A phrase that Lynn taught her kira-kira means to glimmer or sparkle helps her remember to appreciate the little things in life and be grateful that she gets to have a life.I find myself liking coming of age stories when it pertains to children rather than teenagers. I think I've finally reached that age where I don't see myself as such a young person that I can't relate to what teenagers are dealing with these days (not to mention that I never had to deal with heavy things like the hardcore party scene because I had no life) so it moves me to go back and find books that have relatable content. I'm not Japanese but I have parents that immigrated from another country in hopes of bringing up their children in a better country. I have had to balance two cultures my whole life and I still get reminders of different sayings that come from my background. The family portrayed in the book wasn't too far off from what I was used to but it's always interesting for me to compare the traits that they have in common with mine. Others may find the writing too simple but honestly I'd rather get straight to the point than fluff that doesn't move the story along or teach me anything about a character's traits other than the color on her nail polish. And when the color of a nail polish was mentioned it had everything to do with the situation Katie and Lynn were in. The sparkle of the moment was that pink nail polish. It's little moments that really get to me. And it also helps that I liked every character and those that I wasn't supposed to like or really hate all that much weren't just throwaways either. This was plain satisfying.
    • 3/5
      Kira-kira is about a poor family that has to move. They are Japanese and have to go to an internment camp. Kira-Kira is invisible because she is a person of color. Her little sister, Lynn, has lymphoma and her parents work hard to earn money for Lynn's treatments. Kira-kira is always sad. She rarely sees her parent and she is rarely seen by the world. Just when you think that her life can't be any sadder, her brother's foot gets caught in a trap and he can no longer walk properly. Then her sister dies. Somehow though even after all of the hardships and sadness Kira-Kira triumphs.This is a wonderfully written very realistic feeling book. Although it was very sad, I liked it because is reminds you to be a good person. Every one you meet has a story that you know nothing about so be compassionate. It also is a good reminder that you are the only person that can make you happy. Even though Kira-kira has all of these reasons to be miserable, she finds a way to be happy. It is also a good reminder that everyone matters. Kira-kira was invisible to her community because she was a person of color and she felt that if no one saw her she must not matter but she learned that everyone matters and that no one should be ignored.
    • 5/5
      Spoiler alert. A touching book told from the viewpoint of a young Japanese American girl. Loved the voice. While students younger than grade 6 might enjoy it, keep in mind that the older sister dies of lymphoma, so it's best for more mature readers.From the book: Tonight I was supposed to write a book report on The Call of the Wild. It was my most favorite book I ever read, so I thought the report would be easy. The question we were supposed to answer in our report was: What is the theme of The Call of the Wild? What was the theme? I could never figure out exactly what "theme" meant.
    • 5/5
      Narrator Katie idolized her older sister, Lynn. Her story covers several years in the life of her family, Japanese Americans, trying to get by in Georgia during the 1950s. Life is difficult for them at its best. But then Lynn becomes very sick. Their parents work harder and longer to try to keep up with the medical bills. While this is the major theme of the book, there are many many little sub-plots as well. Growing up, friendships, boys, their toddler brother getting seriously injured, union activity at their mother's factory, a peculiar uncle...Much ground is covered in a fairly short novel, and it is beautiful.
    • 5/5
      I love this book it is such a amazing book!
    • 3/5
      I have been listening to a lot of the Newbery Award books lately. Although I consider 'Kira Kira' an adequate read, I never quite felt the grip of the characters and was left unmoved by the end. This is probably my least favorite Newbery winner, as the characters lacked the depth and vibrancy one comes to expect from top tier writing.
    • 3/5
      It seems as if it were almost written to pander to the Newbery committee. Historical fiction, about an under-explored situation, and also a big family story.

      But Katie was too young to share the story. We never got to really know the characters much beyond their iconographic roles. Maybe a reread or a discussion would reveal to me more of what the author hints at, because there is more subtle showing and less telling than I'm accustomed to in MG books. But as I reflect, I still feel like the story is lacking the spark and freshness that Newbery winners should have.

      Read it if you want to, but I won't recommend it.
    • 3/5
      not one of my favorite newberry books. it was good, but a little unoriginal.
    • 2/5
      Billed as YA, but it's really a children's (MG) novel. Sad content but accessible writing for that age group.
    • 4/5
      As children, Katie follows her big sister out into the empty Iowa road and together they lay staring up at the stars, saying "kira-kira". "Kira-kira" means "glittering" in Japanese, and there is a sense of the wonderment or the glittering in the way big sister Lynne see the world. When the family moves out of Iowa and to a small town in Georgia (with a small community of Japanese), where the parents can work in chicken production plants, life gets difficult. The family is struggling to keep up with the bills and the parents work long hours. Things become even more difficult when Lynne becomes I'll and Katie and her family have a hard time seeing the glittering of life. This is a short, but beautiful tale about family, with culture as an integral part of the storytelling. Told from Katie's point of view, the voice is well done and the portrait of the family feels full. A terribly sad, but lovely story.
    • 5/5
      I'm a big fan of Newbery winners - I don't think I've read a dud yet. Kira-Kira (which means glittering in Japanese) shines as one of the best. Set in the 1950's, the book follows the Japanese American Takeshima family from Iowa to Georgia where the parents work long grueling hours processing poultry. Although the family faces many obstacles from the struggle of making ends meet to racial discrimination in the Deep South, life is fine for the Takeshima's until the oldest child, Lynn, becomes ill. The story is told by Katie, the younger daughter, who adds humor and innocence to this touching story. The narrator - Elaina Erika Davis was perfect - she handled the various ages of the characters as well as the challenge of Southern and Japanese accents beautifully. 5 Kira-Kira stars.
    • 4/5
      Summary: Katie moves with her family to a town in Georgia after the families oriental grocery goes out of business. When they arrive, Katie and her older sister Lynn, find out first hand about racism and that because they are different they are not welcome in their school and community. Lynn dies of lymphoma and something changes in Katie. She tries harder in school and her mother, who concerned herself mostly with her own family, begins to concern herself with other families that are dealing with their own grief. Personal Reaction: This is probably one of my favorite stories. The parents were incredibly hard working, making sure they could provide for their children and the sisters seemed to have a really close bond. This is another story that a student who recently lost a sibling or family member could read and easily relate to. Classroom Extension:1) Create a history lesson about the south and racism.2) Use this story as part of a multicultural lesson.
    • 3/5
      Lyrical, interesting, but ultimately depressing. Why are the Newbery winners so sad? This one's about a Japanese-American girl growing up in the South. There's an undercurrent of prejudice and poverty, if the sickness and death doesn't make you melancholy enough. Ultimately transcendent, but be warned.
    • 4/5
      In this endearing book, the Takeshima family moves to Georgia so that Katie's parents can work in the chicken factory. There, young Katie learns about Southern racism and the practically-slave-labor conditions of factory workers. But when Katie's older sister Lynn becomes sick, Katie learns the hardest lesson of all...This is a sweet story - and pretty typical for Newbery winners. (Newbery judges certainly like bereavement, racism, and Southern settings!) The character in the book ranges from about 5-7, I'd say, but I think the subject and reading level is more appropriate for a 10-12 year old.
    • 4/5
      Characters: Katie, Lynn, Sammy, Uncle Katsuhisa, the parentsSetting: 1950s in Iowa, and later in GeorgiaTheme: Family, death, sisterhood, discrimination, friendship, adolescence, coming of ageSummary: Lynn is Katie's sister older by 4 years who taught her that everyday occurrences are kira-kira (glittering in Japanese) and magic. Katie looks up to Lynn as the smartest and the wisest sister. Their parents' oriental supermarket in Iowa goes out of business and the family moves to Georgia where their father's older brother, uncle Katsuhisa, and his family live. In Georgia, where the population of Japanese is relatively small, the girls are not welcomed at school or in the community. When Lynn becomes ill with lymphoma, her family moves into a new house with their younger brother, Sammy, who was born after they moved to Georgia. When Lynn dies, her death brings changes in the family. Katie, who rarely achieved higher than C at school, strives for a better grade and voluntarily does house chores. Their mom, who only had a heart for her own family, starts to share her concern with those who are suffering grief. For the family's winter vacation, they visit the beach in California, Lynn's dream place, where the waves deliver Lynn's voice saying kira-kira to Katie, who gently savors it.Review: The girls' parents reminded me of my parents and typical Asian parents for that matter. Their parents are extremely hard working who work and sacrifice day and night for family. The mom stinks of pee from wearing a pad (no bathroom breaks while working) and the dad works 90 hours a week and wrecks the boss's car in the middle of the night for injuring his little boy's ankle. It amazes me how much they go through for a family and do so as a matter of course. I enjoyed witnessing the transformation of the relationship between the girls; they started as best friends in the early age and as Lynn grew and matured, she saw her once best friend sister as a baby. But looking at her as a baby or not, not once did Lynn not hold Katie dear to her heart. It was clear that death did not part them and it never will.Curriculum ties: Health (death, coping with death of family member), social studies (historical background, discrimination), Geography (Iowa, Georgia, California, each state's characteristic, weather, culture)Award: Newbery Medal
    • 4/5
      Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata was the 2005 Newbery winner. I did like this book, but not as much as I wanted to. I couldn’t really put my finger on why until I thought that maybe it was because there felt like just a little too much going on in the book.Katie and her sister Lynn spent their first few years in Iowa where their parents ran an Asian market. The family ends up moving to Georgia where their uncle says he can get their parents jobs working at a chicken hatchery. The two work extremely hard with very little benefit, and the workers start thinking about a union. Meanwhile, Lynn and Katie struggle to fit in at school and then Lynn becomes sick with anemia and perhaps something worse.While I was interested in the story, all of the book’s themes put together were perhaps a bit too much. It was a good book, but I was hoping for something a little more (or less as the case may be).2004, 272 pp.
    • 4/5
      This book dealt with pain and loss in an authentic way. I really liked how this book tried to emulate some of the anger and confusion that comes with losing a loved one. This would be a good book for more skilled readers to read and have meaningful discussions about.
    • 5/5
      This was a really emotional book. I was crying the entire time. I feel inlove with every caracter. It was a truly amazing book. I wont spoil it for you but I'm just going to say I did not like the ending. i would recomend this book to everybody that likes emotional books or liked my sisters keeper. 
    • 5/5
      Touching and sad, but beautifully written.
    • 4/5
      From the opening paragraph of Kira-Kira, the reader gets the sense of closeness and love that sisters Katie and Lynn have for each other. That they are Japanese-American girls is also made clear in the first few paragraphs, where we discover that kira-kira is a Japanese term for “glittering” and that protagonist and narrator Katie was born in Iowa in 1951. Though the story takes place in the 1950s and 1960s, it offers today’s students situations with which they can identify. The theme of family loyalty and affection, though embellished with details from a time when Asians were viewed as a novelty and by some with disdain in American cities and towns, is depicted with a clarity and significance that transcend decade. Katie’s agonizing experience with a dying sibling is timeless and universal. There is nothing she and her family face with regard to their struggles with Lynn’s illness, finances, or even prejudice that has disappeared from modern America. However, it is to the author’s credit that there is a balance between some in the Georgia town who have negative feelings for the Takeshimas and those white southerners who easily embrace them. As with any novel of realistic fiction, technology is the primary clue to the book’s age—there are no cell phones and Katie’s illness took some time to diagnose and to treat. However, books written even five years ago can seem dated when taking into account technology advancements. There are many references to Katie’s Japanese heritage, including those about food, song and sayings (kira-kira). Weaving these together with the very American allusions in Katie and Lynn’s world creates a moving example of a truly American cultural experience that can be applied to every ethnic group in the United States. Target audience 5th-7th grade. Kadohata, C. (2004). Kira-kira. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
    • 5/5
      Katie idolizes her older sister Lynn, who teaches her all about the idea of kira-kira, which means glittering or sparkling. Katie uses the word to describe everything she loves. But it becomes harder and harder to find kira-kira in the world when the Takeshima family moves from their Japanese American community in Iowa to the middle of nowhere in Georgia, where they stand out a lot more. It becomes even harder to find kira-kira when Lynn is diagnosed with lymphoma. As Lynn begins to succumb to her disease, Katie learns that she will have to find kira-kira herself, and to live her own life out of the shadow of her sister.This book is beautifully written, funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Kids will find themselves growing incensed over the injustice the Takeshima family endures, but they will be heartened by the goodness of some people of the community as well. The reader will root for both Katie and Lynn, as well as their hard working parents, but they'll also learn about the moral quandaries the family faces, as the parents refuse to unionize even though they can't pay Lynn's medical bills. This book is entrancing and un-put-down-able.For ages 10 and up.
    • 5/5
      Inspirational, moving, heart wrenching, and well written. Book about human struggle, human sacrafice, about change, about family, death, and life. Book about having hopes and dreams for the future. The book does tell a good story but it is somber. I believe that the story is accurate and authentic as possible, a Japanese American family moving to Georgia in the 1950s dealing with diversity and discrimination. The working conditions in the poultry plants from what I know is spot on, horrid conditions, long hours, and low pay. I do think the story does accuraetly depict and reflect the values and norms of the culture (Japanese culture...education is a prority, values, family is important, etc...). I do believe the background details are spot on, southern wealthy poultry plant owners exploiting human labor for near to no cost, white vs non-white. The themes that are presented in this story do stand up to today's time. I do not believe that the author is using stereotyping but bringing attention issues in diversity and racism. Ages 10-14
    • 5/5
      It's not very often that books bring tears to my eyes. Kira-Kira totally did. Cynthia Kadohata's Newberry medal book portrays a Japanese family trying their best to make ends meet and assimilate into American society in the 1950s and 60s. The book addresses many topics-- Japanese culture, discrimination, labor unions, growing up-- but the main focus is the intense, incredibly real bond between two sisters, Lynne and Katie, one of whom becomes tragically ill. Kadohata's language is vivid, poetic, and appealing to middle grade (gr 5-8) readers and up. I would recommend this book to any girl age 9 or older.
    • 4/5
      This book is the 2005 Newbery Award winner. This book tells of a Japanese family that moves from rural Iowa to the deep south of Georgia. The older sister Lynn in this story sees to the upbringing of her younger sister Katie because her parents spend every moment they can working trying to get ahead. Lynn has dreams of attending college and living in a house of her own. When Lynn becomes sick Katie takes over Lynn’s duties of raising her younger brother and taking care of her older sister. This is a heartwarming story that is sure to bring tears to your eyes.
    • 5/5
      i would recomend this book to anyone looking for a heartfelt story
    • 4/5
      Katie and her family's life is anything but kira-kira—the life of Japanese Americans in the 1950s was anything but glittering due to the "Anti-Japanese sentiment" across America. Katie could see reality: no one wants to make friends with her at school, not even with her sister Lynn, despite her natural charm and brilliance at schoolwork and her father had to work back-breaking hours to provide for his family. On the other hand, Lynn, despite also seeing reality, chose to be the optimist and was the one who taught Katie to see things differently, that all things are kira-kira.The author has drawn perfectly believable characters, from the humble, hardworking father, to the sweet, adoring little brother. Their voices are clear and their words are accurate. Katie describes her world with the simplicity and practicality you would expect from her age, and a natural awe for her older sister. Added to the mix are interesting characters, Uncle Katsuhisa and his family, Amber, and Silly, who provide the necessary humor and perspective that turns the plot from an otherwise depressing narrative to a hopeful, coming of age story of a young girl and her family.Winner of the 2005 Newberry Medal, this novel, though sad, will not disappoint. It is a story of hope at its core, convincing the readers to find the kira-kira in little things, reminding everyone to keep dreaming big, and appreciating the world for all its flaws.
    • 4/5
      A poignant slice-of-life story that centers on the Takeshima family, Japanese Americans who move to Georgia and face many challenges with courage and integrity. The narrator is Katie, the second daughter, and eventual middle child, who looks up to her big sister Lynn with a love that is akin to hero worship. Her big sister takes her job as role model seriously. She encourages Katie to study hard, to be responsible and help her parents, but even more important, she teaches her sister how to see beauty in the world around them. The Japanese phrase "kira-kira" means glittering, and her sister applies it to objects that are both glittering in appearance, and glittering in character. Thus, the stars are kira-kira, but so are the sky and the sea and ocean. Watching tissue paper flutter in the wind across a field is kira-kira. Katie learns the lesson that Lynn is teaching, that kira-kira refers to a particular quality of goodness, and uses that phrase to describe everything she likes. When we first meet Katie, she is quite young, not even in school yet. Her family moves from Iowa to Georgia, because they can't sustain the Oriental grocery store they run in their rural area, and Katie's uncle can get both her father and mother jobs in the poultry industry where he works. Thus they leave the house they rented and move to a small apartment in a small town in the south. It is here that Katie encounters racism for the first time, that she can remember at least, and here that her mother has her third and final child, a son. It is also here that the family learns that Lynn is sick. At first they just assume that she has anemia, or a cold, but the parents soon realize, then the readers, and finally Katie, that Lynnie is very sick. She has lymphoma.How this terminal illness affects the relationship between Katie and Lynn, and the whole family in general, occupies a majority of the novel, interwoven with other incidents from their life, all told through Katie's young perspective. This is a moving story of a family that is willing to work hard to make their lives better, and especially better for their children, and how they respond when, despite all their efforts, they can't fix or change things. In particular, it is the story of a young girl of a minority ethnicity, growing up in a world of two cultures, who is anchored by her relationship with her sister, and how she grows and matures over the course of time that she is able to share with her sister. The telling of the story is lovely, and the relationships between all the characters are realistic and touching. Such tales of life, of family, of reward and adversity, and of overcoming grief - or not quite that, but enduring and learning to live with grief - are important and need to be shared. In addition, the novel explores issues of ethnic heritage in our country. I can see why it won a Newbery award. It is a slow story, though, that didn't grab my attention the way recent Newbery books I read had. Most of these award winners teach meaningful lessons, all in different ways. I prefer those that can impart such powerful messages and still keep my eyes glued to the pages. This was a different sort of story, a book that is beautiful and hazy, like a warm sunny day in open fields. Reading the story took time, and unfolded slowly inside you. For me, this book was powerful, but lacked some of the drive that I have found in other, equally serious, children's books. I greatly appreciate it, it is a good book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I've come to expect from a Newbery book.
    • 4/5
      This book was pretty good, it had avery touching storyline. It really made me realized how lucky I really am.