Kira, Kira

1. Author: Cynthia Kodohata
2. Title:Kira-Kira
3. Illustrator: None
4. Genre: Fiction/Family
5. Subgenre: Japanese-American culture
6. Theme: There is always hope in every tragedy.
7. Primary Characters: Katie, Lynn, Sammy, Mr and Mrs. Takeshima (parents)
8. Secondary Characters: Uncle Katsuhisa
9. Award/Date: Newbery/2004
10. Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
11. Summary: Katie is a young japanese-american child who idolizes her sister Lynn. The story follows her through the moving from Iowa to Georgia, through losing her best friend/her sister Lynn, and through her finding a way to help her family see that their is still a light despite losing Lynn.
12. How Used: The story is a terrific book to teach children about other cultures and loss. The mother is often irritated at Katie because she doesn't use the word Kira-Kira correctly, which is Japanese for glittery/shiny. It shows the cultural problems between the parents who have strong japanese values and their children who seem to show more american culture than japanese. As for the loss, loss is a terrible part of life. This can be an inspirational story to children who lose someone close to them.