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2005
kira-kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum, $16.95, sixth-grade level).
ISBN: 0689856393. The Medalist A Japanese-American girl bears the double-burden of growing up in
rural Georgia and coming to grips with the advancing illness of an
older sister she idolizes. Katie turns to her sister at an early age. Her parents, eager to
rise above poverty, work day and night to earn enough money to buy a
house and reach for financial stability. The task is complicated by a
variety of factors, not the least of which is their status as a
cultural rarity in Georgia, circa 1955. The Takeshimas, of necessity,
become part of an insular Japanese-American enclave near the chicken
processing plant where both parents work. Katie adores her older sister, who possesses a remarkable set of
abilities. Lynn is beautiful, smart, socially gifted and the owner of a
poetic soul that can see kira-kira (translated by Katie as "glittering"
or "shining" but implying transcendent beauty) in the oddest places.
The girls' relationship becomes increasingly more complicated as they
age and takes an unexpected turn when Lynn is consumed by her illness. Kadohata has given teachers a novel that offers many windows into
student experience. The millions of immigrant children in our schools
will recognize themselves and their parents in the struggles of the
Takeshimas. Any child who has an older, "perfect," sibling will see
their emotions echoed in Katie's changing perceptions of her sister.
Discussions about the blatant racism of the past and the subtle racism
of the present will take new turns when kids reflect upon the bigotry
experienced by the Japanese-Americans who found themselves the oddest
niche possible in American society. My appreciation of Kadohata's work was tempered by her design of
Lynn, the character around whom the novel's action revolves. I've
taught many Katies. I've met many parents like the Takeshima's, who
greatly remind me of my in-laws. Lynn, the embodiment of kira-kira in
human form, was less real, less accessible. But perhaps that was the
intent. Lynn's attraction lies in her ephemeral quality. She floats
like a butterfly into people's lives, flutters briefly her golden
wings, and is gone, leaving only a memory of her absence. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Shmidt (Clarion
Books, $16, seventh-grade level). ISBN: 0618439293. Honor Book The 13-year-old son of a staid minister learns harsh lessons about
human behavior yet comes to one grand understanding about the beauty of
life while living in a small town on the coast of Maine. Turner Buckminster III and his parents move to Phippsburg at the
invitation of the town elders, who see the boy's father as a
well-connected mover and shaker who will assist them in their drive to
modernize the town and attract tourists. The most pressing task of this
modernization is the removal of a band of African-American "squatters"
who live on a small island less than a quarter-mile off the coast, well
within sight of dreamed-of hotels. Turner ignores the strictures of his authoritarian father and the scorn of the town members by befriending the
islands' residents and falling in love with a marvelous young girl
named Lizzie Bright. Their innocent relationship rocks the town to its
spiritual core and initiates hasty action that has tragic consequences
for all concerned. Let me begin my analysis by stating that many years will pass before
I or anyone else encounter a Newbery title of greater worth. Schmidt
has given readers young and old a marvelous gift, rich in character and
plot, seething with intense emotion, steeped in spiritual exploration,
and intensely life-affirming despite the dreadful price some characters
pay for their innocence. The narrative is based on the very real erasure of Malaga Island, an
enclave of former slaves and outcasts of all races and professions that
was scrubbed clean of inhabitants by the prim and proper white folk
that lived nearby. Some readers, even some teachers, will reduce this
novel to an exploration of racism. If they do, they will be missing
much that Schmidt offers us. This book is about the purity of love, the
complexity of personality, the power of greed, the beauty of nature,
the price of conformity and the even greater price of breaking free of
society's expectations. Read it, share it - you will not see it's like
for many more years. The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the
Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman (Clarion, $18,
sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0618159762. Honor Book Russell Freedman provides readers with yet another
powerful photobiography of an important figure in American history,
this time capturing the life and times of singer Marian Anderson. Freedman uses thorough research, a comprehensive
set of photographs, and his usual deft touch to describe Anderson's
life in her own words and in those of others. The climax of the story
is her solo performance in 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to
a racially mixed audience of 75,000. It was one of the early, seminal
events in the civil rights movement and presaged Martin Luther King's
more powerful speech from the same spot in 1963. Anderson was indeed an important figure because
she opened many doors, both literal and figurative, for black
performers. Much in the vein of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color
barrier in professional sports in 1947, Anderson performed in concert
halls and venues previously denied blacks. Despite her importance, Anderson was a passive
player in this process. Freedman repeats in several passages that
Anderson didn't enjoy conflict and preferred not to rock the boat.
However, she is used effectively by organizations (NAACP) and people
(Eleanor Roosevelt) to cast a spotlight on the institutional racism so
widespread in American society. Her voice -- one that the composer
Toscanini said is heard "once in a century" -- reached out and plucked
a chord in the most hardened heart. Honor Book A boy comes to a deeper understanding of his
parents and himself as he and they learn to cope with the disability of
his older sister. The mother is adamant that her daughter can become
"normal," although the girl displays every sign of autism, a disability
that didn't have a diagnosis when this book is set, circa 1935. The
mother forces the family to made extraordinary sacrifices for the sake
of Natalie, including a move from the Midwest to Alcatraz, where the
dad lands a job as an electrician/prison guard. The son is a good kid
who makes friends easily and always looks out for his sister's best
interests even while doubting the wisdom of his parents' decisions. Moose, as the boy is nicknamed, becomes friends
with the other kids who live on the islands, including the warden's
daughter. Piper is a "looker" with an unfailing instinct for trouble.
She continually draws Moose into uncomfortable situations, one of which
precipitates an unlikely intervention by Al Capone. Many readers will be distracted by the setting of
the novel, which is ably painted by Choldenko, who read widely and even
conducted interviews with former residents (non-criminal) of Alcatraz
so that she could authentically capture life on the island. However,
this is a novel about family interaction and personal growth. It is
rich in emotion, but not uncomfortably so, because the emotions and
their actions they're based on ring true. This novel joins a small body of work that
explores the price a child's disability exacts on those who love and
care for them. As such, it should be required reading of special
education teachers and aides. I would enjoy teaching it with
Joey Pigza Loses Control (2001) and
Summer of the Swans (1971).
Copyright David Ross 2005
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (:Putnam, $15.99,
fifth-grade level). ISBN: 0399238611.