Kira-Kira

By: Cynthia Kadohata

Narrated by: Elaina Erika Davis

Length: 4 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

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. Kira-Kira won the 2005 Newbery Medal for most distinguished American children's book.

Click here to see a full list of Newbery Medal winners and Newbery Honor winners.

©2005 Cynthia Kadohata (P)2005 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

• Newbery Medal Winner, 2005

"Lynn's ability to teach Katie to appreciate the "kira-kira", or glittering, in everyday life makes this novel shine." (Publishers Weekly)
"In her first novel for young people, Kadohata stays true to the child's viewpoint in plain, beautiful prose that can barely contain the passionate feelings." (Booklist)
"All of the characters are believable and well developed....Girls will relate to and empathize with the appealing protagonist." (School Library Journal)

The book was really great

I like the story because it hooked you in and I could not stop listening.📔

Wonderful family fair!

This is a wonderfully stirring book with a wonderful narrator. On an road trip, my family (kids 4-10, mother, grandmother) listened with rapt attention. We laughed, we sympathised, and the children asked questions that led to wonderful discussions. A wonderful way to spend a trip or an evening at home. Definitely beats hearing "Are we there yet?" over and over.

What a touching book!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have already recommended this book to my sister - it is slow to develop into a story about a younger sister's loss of her older sister. The love described is beautiful; the sister is nurtured by her sister and she, in turn, nurtures her younger brother. The parents, immigrants from Japan in the early 50's, must work every day for long hours. They love their children, but the direct nurturing comes from each other.

What other book might you compare Kira-Kira to and why?

There is no comparison to this book. It was so delightful in many ways but so sad in other ways.

What about Elaina Erika Davis’s performance did you like?

I loved her role in first person telling the story of a young woman's perspective of having an ill sister and of her having to take on roles that aren't comfortable. She portrayed the character very well.

If you could rename Kira-Kira, what would you call it?

Butterfly

Any additional comments?

The only thing I didn't clearly understand was some of the cultural issues. I would have to look to ensure that Japanese people celebrate American New Year in that area rather than Chinese New Year - they very well may have started embracing American holidays. Most other Asians celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Good soup

It is well narrated and full of emotion. There is a good theme that is demonstrated in the book.

Sparkling

Kira Kira was a heartbreaking story with "sparkling" detail of each character, setting and event.

Beautiful story!

This story was read beautifully and the plot is gorgeous as well. It’s sad but necessary. Family dynamics, Japanese culture, and childhood grief are told in such a way that anyone can see how wonderful life can be.

Great story

The performance is great! What a sad but wholesome story. It was very much worth it.

An Emotional Rollercoaster

I listened to this book in the car with my kids aged 5, 8 and 12, as we drove to our vacation spot. All four of us loved it, although it might be a tad too mature for most kids under the age of 8. The poignant story made us laugh and also made us cry (well, mostly I cried, truth be told). It raised many issues for discussion: segregation, family values and matters of life and death. The story offered a peek into the experience of one Japanese-American family moving from Iowa to Georgia in order to improve their quality of life. Beautifully written and also beautifully narrated.

Told very well

I loved this book as a kid and decided to revisit it with audible. I love this story, so sweet. The narration was so good it made it that much more enjoyable

Great for a Car Trip with Kiddos

This book talks about death in a way that is dealable. It's a great book to listen to on a short road trip with kiddos, and then start a conversation about death if need be. It lends itself to that. For someone without that intent and just wanting a story, the character development is nice, but it felt like the story was blotchy--missing pieces. It was nice enough, but if it were more than 5 hours, it would have lost my interest.