kira-kira (kee' ra kee' ra): glittering; shining Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makeseverything seem. The sky is "kira-kira" because its color is deepbut see-through at the same time. The sea is "kira-kira" for thesame reason. And so are people's eyes. When Katie and her familymove from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South ofGeorgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop them on thestreet to stare. And it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewingthe world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow. But when Lynnbecomes 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 isalways something glittering -- "kira-kira" -- in the future. Luminous in its persistence of love and hope, "Kira-Kira" isCynthia Kadohata's stunning debut in middle-grade fiction.