by Cynthia Kadohata
Kadohata once again proves that a book does not have to have an outlandish or extremely inventive premise to capture the reader’s attention and interest. Once I started reading this book about a young girl’s simple wishes and dreams, her family’s struggle to stay afloat as seasonal wheat harvesters, and her brother’s difficulty in connecting with his peers, I could not stop. I cared so deeply about Summer, her brother, and her elderly grandparents. It’s really quite a feat for such a slim and quiet book! Its inclusion as one of the five finalists of the 2013 National Book Award Young People’s Literature category is well deserved!
Fairrosa Cyber Library 