Download or read book Weedflower written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-06-30 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twelve-year-old Sumiko feels her life has been made up of two parts: before Pearl Harbor and after it. The good part and the bad part. Raised on a flower farm in California, Sumiko is used to being the only Japanese girl in her class. Even when the other kids tease her, she always has had her flowers and family to go home to. That all changes after the horrific events of Pearl Harbor. Other Americans start to suspect that all Japanese people are spies for the emperor, even if, like Sumiko, they were born in the United States! As suspicions grow, Sumiko and her family find themselves being shipped to an internment camp in one of the hottest deserts in the United States. The vivid color of her previous life is gone forever, and now dust storms regularly choke the sky and seep into every crack of the military barrack that is her new "home." Sumiko soon discovers that the camp is on an Indian reservation and that the Japanese are as unwanted there as they'd been at home. But then she meets a young Mohave boy who might just become her first real friend...if he can ever stop being angry about the fact that the internment camp is on his tribe's land. With searing insight and clarity, Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata explores an important and painful topic through the eyes of a young girl who yearns to belong. Weedflower is the story of the rewards and challenges of a friendship across the racial divide, as well as the based-on-real-life story of how the meeting of Japanese Americans and Native Americans changed the future of both.

Download or read book Kira Kira written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-06-20 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Cracker written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-06-20 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: CRACKER IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S MOST VALUABLE WEAPONS: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too. Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant -- and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war -- wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store. When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive. Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler. It's an utterly unique powerhouse of a book by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira.

Download or read book The Little Weed Flower written by Vicky Whipple and published by Raven Tree Press,Csi. This book was released on 2010-10-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A little weed flower notices the way the gardener tends the beautiful flowers in a nearby garden and wishes she could be there, too, and one day, with a little help, the gardener notices how charming she is.

Download or read book A Place to Belong written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019 A Japanese-American family, reeling from their ill treatment in the Japanese internment camps, gives up their American citizenship to move back to Hiroshima, unaware of the devastation wreaked by the atomic bomb in this piercing look at the aftermath of World War II by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata. World War II has ended, but while America has won the war, twelve-year-old Hanako feels lost. To her, the world, and her world, seems irrevocably broken. America, the only home she’s ever known, imprisoned then rejected her and her family—and thousands of other innocent Americans—because of their Japanese heritage, because Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Japan, the country they’ve been forced to move to, the country they hope will be the family’s saving grace, where they were supposed to start new and better lives, is in shambles because America dropped bombs of their own—one on Hiroshima unlike any other in history. And Hanako’s grandparents live in a small village just outside the ravaged city. The country is starving, the black markets run rampant, and countless orphans beg for food on the streets, but how can Hanako help them when there is not even enough food for her own brother? Hanako feels she could crack under the pressure, but just because something is broken doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. Cracks can make room for gold, her grandfather explains when he tells her about the tradition of kintsukuroi—fixing broken objects with gold lacquer, making them stronger and more beautiful than ever. As she struggles to adjust to find her place in a new world, Hanako will find that the gold can come in many forms, and family may be hers.

Download or read book In the Heart of the Valley of Love written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1997-04-14 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This novel explores human relationships in a Los Angeles of the future, where rich and poor are deeply polarized and where water, food, gas and education cannot be taken for granted.

Download or read book The Thing About Luck written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-06-04 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just when 12-year-old Summer thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong in a year of bad luck, an emergency takes her parents to Japan, leaving Summer to care for her little brother while helping her grandmother cook and do laundry for harvest workers. Illustrations.

Download or read book A Million Shades of Gray written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-01-05 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A boy and his elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam war.

Download or read book The Prophet s Wife written by Libbie Grant and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2022-03-01 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sweeping, lyrical tale of historical fiction that tells the unbelievable story of the early days of the Mormon church through the eyes of the woman who saw it all—Emma, the first wife of the prophet Joseph Smith. In 1825, in rural Pennsylvania, Emma Hale marries an itinerant treasure-digger, a man who has nothing but a peep-stone in his pocket and a conviction that he can speak directly to God. His name is Joseph Smith and in a few short years, he will found his own religion, gather zealous adherents by the tens of thousands, and fracture Emma’s life and faith While the Mormon religion finds its feet and runs beyond the grasp of its founder, Emma struggles to maintain her place in Joseph’s heart—and in the religion that has become her world. The Mormons make themselves outcasts everywhere they go. Joseph can only maintain his authority by issuing ever-stranger commandments on God’s behalf, culminating in an edict that men should marry as many women as they please. The Mormons’ adoption of polygamy only sets them further apart, and soon their communities are ravaged by violence at the hands of their outraged fellow Americans. For Emma, things take a more personal toll as Joseph brings in a new wife—a woman whom Emma considers a sister. As Emma’s family grows along with Joseph’s infamy, she knows there will never be peace until Joseph faces the law. But on the half-wild edge of the frontier, he’s more likely to find death at the hands of a vigilante posse than a fair trial. For the sake of her people—and her soul—Emma must convince the Prophet of God to surrender... and perhaps to sacrifice his life.

Download or read book The Paper Kingdom written by Helena Ku Rhee and published by Random House Studio. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 41 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An office at night is reimagined as a fantastical kingdom of paper complete with friendly dragons in this own voices picture book. When the babysitter is unable to come, Daniel is woken out of bed and joins his parents as they head downtown for their jobs as nighttime office cleaners. But the story is about more than brooms, mops, and vacuums. Mama and Papa turn the deserted office building into a magnificent kingdom filled with paper. Then they weave a fantasy of dragons and kings to further engage their reluctant companion--and even encourage him to one day be the king of a paper kingdom. The Paper Kingdom expresses the joy and spirit of a loving family who turn a routine and ordinary experience into something much grander. Magical art by Pascal Campion shows both the real world and the fantasy through the eyes of the young narrator.

Download or read book Half a World Away written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-09-02 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A kid who considers himself an epic fail discovers the transformative power of love when he deals with adoption in this novel from Cynthia Kadohata, winner of the Newbery Medal (Kira-Kira) and the National Book Award (The Thing About Luck). Eleven-year-old Jaden is adopted, and he knows he’s an “epic fail.” That’s why his family is traveling to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby—to replace him, he’s sure. And he gets it. He is incapable of stopping his stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, aggressive running, and obsession with electricity. He knows his parents love him, but he feels...nothing. When they get to Kazakhstan, it turns out the infant they’ve traveled for has already been adopted, and literally within minutes are faced with having to choose from six other babies. While his parents agonize, Jaden is more interested in the toddlers. One, a little guy named Dimash, spies Jaden and barrels over to him every time he sees him. Jaden finds himself increasingly intrigued by and worried about Dimash. Already three years old and barely able to speak, Dimash will soon age out of the orphanage, and then his life will be as hopeless as Jaden feels now. For the first time in his life, Jaden actually feels something that isn’t pure blinding fury, and there’s no way to control it, or its power. From camels rooting through garbage like raccoons, to eagles being trained like hunting dogs, to streets that are more pothole than pavement, the vivid depictions in Half a World Away create “an inspiring story that celebrates hope and second chances” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Download or read book A Weed Is a Flower written by Aliki and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-09-29 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover how George Washington Carver went from a slave to an innovator of agricultural science in this luminously illustrated picture book. Born a slave, George Washington Carver went on to become the most prominent black scientist of the early twentieth century.

Download or read book Checked written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2019-02-12 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Kadohata’s slapshot is the heart-swelling narrative of a father and son…Truly powerful.” —Jason Reynolds “A deeply poignant story about a boy sorting out his priorities.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A vivid, memorable portrayal of a boy within his family, his sport, and his gradually broadening world.” —Booklist (starred review) From Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata comes a brilliantly-realized novel about a hockey player who must discover who he is without the sport that defines him. Hockey is Conor’s life. His whole life. He’ll say it himself, he’s a hockey beast. It’s his dad’s whole life too—and Conor is sure that’s why his stepmom, Jenny, left. There are very few things Conor and his dad love more than the game, and one of those things is their Doberman, Sinbad. When Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, Conor chooses to put his hockey lessons and practices on hold so they can pay for Sinbad’s chemotherapy. But without hockey to distract him, Conor begins to notice more. Like his dad’s crying bouts, and his friend’s difficult family life. And then Conor notices one more thing: Without hockey, the one thing that makes him feel special, is he really special at all?

Download or read book Day of Tears written by Julius Lester and published by Perfection Learning. This book was released on 2007-03-20 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Emma cares for Mr. Butler's daughters and has been promised that she will never be sold as a slave. When he breaks his promise and sells her on auction day, Emma runs away, gets married and eventually gains her freedom in Canada.

Download or read book Fergus A Horse to Be Reckoned With written by Jean Abernethy and published by Trafalgar Square Books. This book was released on 2023-08-11 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fergus, the cartoon horse with an international following—now a bona fide social media star—is back! Following up the immensely popular 2015 release of the rollicking comic-strip treasury The Essential Fergus the Horse, this new book explores the rise and mass acceptance of natural horsemanship training techniques via a comical conversation between Fergus and “The Lad,” a young boy who is determined to ride him. Hilariously expressive illustrations and clever verse depict the dialog between horse and human as The Lad maintains his amiable approach, regardless of Fergus’ doubtful reactions and claim of equine superiority. Both endlessly entertaining and intentionally educational, Fergus: A Horse to Be Reckoned With is certain to inspire laughter in adult readers while making a positive impression on young, would-be equestrians.

Download or read book Saucy written by Cynthia Kadohata and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-10-05 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When eleven-year-old Becca, a quadruplet, finds a sick piglet on the side of the road, her life is changed forever.

Download or read book Four Four Two written by Dean Hughes and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-11-08 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forced into an internment camp at the start of World War II, eighteen-year-old Yuki enlists in the Army to fight for the Allies as a member of the "Four-Four-Two," a segregated Japanese American regiment.