The book, Kira-Kira is one of Cynthia Kadohata's graphic novel. It has won a Newberymedal of 2005.

The meaning of the title(Kira-Kira) is glittering;shining in Japanese. I think that the author named it Kira-Kira because the main character Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn Takeshima had always seen things as glittering and shining. She said the sea and sky is kira-kira because it's color is deep but see-through at the same time.

The story is based on 1950s, when the Japanese-Americans(like Katie's family) weren't treated very well. They couldn't get a good jobs, and had to stay in different places in a restuarant, motel, etc. Also, as it had showned from the book, the white kids didn't want to be friends with them.

The story starts in Iowa, where Katie and her sister-also a best friend to her - plays in corn field everyday.Katie had loved her sister so much. They were the best sisters in the world. Katie and Lynn stays happily in a small house with their parents, who had owned a small oriental food store. However, as the store go out of business and their parents couldn't earn money, they decide to move to Georgia, where Katie and Lynn's Uncle Katsuhisa lives with his family. Uncle was a very loud man unlike their father, so Katie doubted they were brothers. On the day of moving, uncle came with a truck from Georgia and they start to load their belongings in his truck. Unfortunately, Katie couldn't find her favorite stuffed animal, Bera-Bera so she cried all the way through Georgia, but her mother tells Katie that she won't even remember she had a toy called Bera-Bera and that becames true few years later.

When they arrive at Georgia, the family move in to a very small apartment, and few years go on boring... Their mother working in a plant, and their father working in a hatchery.

When Katie and Lynn's mother had a baby, they needed more money so their father didn't come to house at night almost everyday. Then another few years flew, in a way Katie admired. Their new baby brother was named Sammy, and Katie was Sammy's favorite person.

One day, Lynn said to Katie she felt dizzy and they soon found out that Lynn was ill. katie and Sammy followed their mother to work, and met a girl called Silly. Silly and Katie became good friends.

Then later one day, Katie was outside when the sun had still not come out, and Lynn died. The familly was in despair and was too miserable to do anything. In Lynn's funeral, Katie gave people a speech by Lynn. She thought she was the saddest  person in the world. But Katie tried to be not sad, and made an altar box for Lynn.

At the end of the story, Katie's family visits California, where Lynn had wished to live. There, Katie heard the ocean, sky, and everything shouting Kira-Kira! in Lynn's  happy voice.

This book was so impressive and melted into my mind. This was because I can't actually explain it, but I could feel the love, shine, and even glitter in this book. It was warm-hearted, unforgettable story and while reading the book, I felt like I was in their with Katie and Lynn.

The sentence that I really want to share is:

"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 something glittering-Kira-Kira- in the future." 

I recommend this book to all the readers out there who had lost someone special or meant everything to them ; to know that there is always something Kira-Kira in the future!