Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of Kira-Kira.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
About the Book
Katie Takeshima is about to enter kindergarten in the 1950s, when her parents
close their Oriental foods grocery store in Iowa and move to Chesterfield,
Georgia to work in a chicken hatchery. Uncle Kutsuhisa helps them move into a
small apartment complex where other Japanese families live, and they begin a
long struggle toward saving money to purchase a house of their own. The working
conditions are almost intolerable at the hatchery, and the Takeshima children
experience prejudices at school, but the small community of Japanese families
band together and support one another in their daily lives. Because Mr. and Mrs.
Takeshima work double shifts, Katie and her younger brother, Sammy, are left in
the care of their older sister Lynn. Katie believes that Lynn is a "genius" and
listens as her sister encourages her to look beyond tomorrow. But there is no
tomorrow for Lynn. When she is fourteen, and Katie ten, Lynn becomes ill with
lymphoma and ultimately dies. At this point, the Takeshima family almost falls
apart, but Katie remembers Lynn's special way of looking at life, and finds a
way to show her parents that there is always hope and something glittering -
kira-kira in their future.
Pre-reading activity
Kira-kira means "glittering" in Japanese. Ask students to write a one page
description of something that is
kira-kira to them. Examples may include
the ocean, stars, the moon, the morning dew on the grass, a dancer under a
spotlight, etc. Invite them to share their writing in class.
Discussion questions
- Mrs. Takeshima is troubled at how "un-Japanese" her daughters seem, and
vows to one day send them back to Japan. Debate how difficult it was in the
early 1950s to belong to one culture and live in another. Why is Mrs.
Takeshima so fearful that her daughters will lose their sense of heritage?
Discuss customs that the Takeshima family practices that demonstrates the
family's loyalty to their native culture.
- Katie describes her mother as "a delicate, rare and beautiful flower."
Find examples in the novel that support Katie's description of her mother.
- Discuss Katie and Lynn's relationship. Why does Katie feel that her
parents like Lynn best? It is Lynn who tells Katie that they are moving to
Georgia, and it is Lynn who tells her that their mother is pregnant. Why do
Mr. and Mrs. Takeshima leave such important discussions up to Lynn? At what
point do Lynn and Katie switch roles?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Aladdin.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.
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