Why am I passionate about this?
I’ve been a writer a long time and a reader for even longer. But, above all, I’m someone who has always been interested in people. The book universe is filled with fast-moving, plot-driven fiction, but I find myself drawn to stories focused on layered characters and complex relationships. Since I think families are so basic to our experiences as people, I’m always interested in those stories too. What the five books here have in common are big family changes—mostly caused by adults—that challenge the books’ main characters—who are all kids.
Cathy's book list on families, changes, and challenges
Why did Cathy love this book?
In my experience, a truly unique book is rare,
and I’m always excited to find one that stands apart because of premise and
setting. Waka is happy in her sixth-grade class in Kansas—until her parents notice
she’s losing her Japanese language skills and decide to take action. They send Waka
to Tokyo to spend several months living with her grandmother and attending a
local public school. In Japan, Waka struggles with reading and writing kanji,
feels awkward around her reserved grandmother, and can’t figure out the social
scene at school. Japan may be her parents’ birth country, but in Tokyo, Waka is
an outsider. Where is Waka’s real home, and who will she be once she figures that
out? An unforgettable memoir with lots of fun 1980s flavor.
1 author picked While I Was Away as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.
Named one of New York Public Library's Best Books of the Year!
The Farewell meets Erin Entrada Kelly's Blackbird Fly in this empowering middle grade memoir from debut author Waka T. Brown, who takes readers on a journey to 1980s Japan, where she was sent as a child to reconnect to her family's roots.
When twelve-year-old Waka's parents suspect she can't understand the basic Japanese they speak to her, they make a drastic decision to send her to Tokyo to live for several months with her strict grandmother. Forced to say goodbye to her friends and what would have been…