Over the past week I completed my reading of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  When I first began reading, I wanted to close the book and choose something else.  A mysterious man had just murdered three people - two parents and a daughter, and was looking for the baby to kill also.  The first chapter describes this man's search for the 18-month-old toddler.  I decided to stick it out.  The first few chapters were still a little unsettling and didn't move as quickly as I would like.  However, I eventually realized that I was thinking about the book during work and while doing chores around the house.  The baby escapes to a graveyard where he is cared for and raised by ghosts of people buried there.  Meanwhile, the evil man continues to search for him.  For the last half of the book, I had a hard time putting the book down.  While I wouldn't particularly enjoy reading the book to my class, I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it.  Some students might be disturbed There are some very good messages to be learned about family, friendship, loyalty, and self-confidence.



Kira-kira

Over this weekend I read Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata.  What a sweet story of a family sticking together through thick and thin.  Life was difficult in America for Japanese Americans in the 1950s.  Although they were often treated unfairly, the family made the most of what they had and loved each other.  The story is told from the viewpoint of Katie, the middle of three children.  Her older sister, Lynn, whom Katie adores, gets sick.  The family takes care of her, especially Katie who is 4 years younger.  Eventually Lynn receives a diagnosis of lymphoma which proves to be fatal.  However, Katie is instrumental in helping her family recover from their grief.  She remembers the lessons Lynn taught her.  Lynn had such a positive outlook on life and taught Katie about kira-kira from the time she was a baby.  Kira-kira is Japanese for glittering.  Everything Lynn loved she referred to as kira-kira.  Katie helped her family experience Lynn's "kira-kira" moments after her death.  I would recommend this book, particularly to middle schoolers.