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kira-kira Literature Unit
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kira-kira Literature Unit
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kira-kira
By Cynthia Kadohata
Katie and her family live in Iowa. Although they do not have much, they are happy being together. Particularly Katie and her sister Lynn. They are very close and have many good times together. Katie’s mom has always dreamed of having her own home. So, the family decides to move to Georgia where they think they can make a better life for themselves. Once they arrive in Georgia, Katie’s parents both get jobs at the local chicken hatchery working many long hours.
Katie’s parents work very hard to save money to buy a home. The children are on their own a lot, but they understand the sacrifices are necessary. Every day is pretty much business as usual until their world is turned upside down when Lynn becomes ill. It takes a while for them to find out what is wrong with her but eventually they determine she has cancer. The family does all they can to make Lynn comfortable, including buying the house they had dreamed of. Although it is hard for Katie to take on more responsibility, she tries her best. She was accustomed to Lynn taking care of her, not her taking care of Lynn. Ultimately the cancer spreads and Lynn dies. The story handles her death gracefully. The author also does a great job of weaving Japanese traditions throughout the story, including special rituals performed upon Lynn’s death. It is a compelling novel of family, love, hard work, compassion, sadness, and learning to move on.
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