Kira Kira tells the story of a Japanese family in the 1950s. Not only are they struggling financially, they feel out of place in their all white world. The story focuses on Katie and Lynn, the two daughters in the family. Lynn, the older sister, tries to show Katie the good in the world and how to live thinking about tomorrow. Eventually, Lynn becomes deathly ill and Katie has to listen to her sister's advice and really grown from it.
This book explores not only the idea of prejudice, as well as the role of family in life. There are only a few Japanese families in town, so Katie and Lynn have a hard time making friends and feeling a part of school. This idea of how Japanese were treated during this time is easily something that could be explored in a classroom. Yet, a majority of the text explores the relationship between the two sisters and what parents give up for their children.
This would definitely be a text that could be used for a classroom. It is an interesting read that wouldn't be a very difficult text for them. I would recommend it for a 6th grade classroom. The only problem I could foresee is it might not appeal to male readers, as the majority of the characters in the text are female and spends time about how sisters interact.
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