Scan barcode
lgpiper's review
4.0
It seems that 12-year-old Angela Kato is being shipped down to Los Angeles for the summer to live with her grandparents, Grandma Michi and Gramps. She suspects her being sent away has something to do with an estrangement she senses between her parents. She's very worried they're in the process of splitting up. But, of course, no one will say anything.
Angela is third generation Japanese, which basically means pretty much fully American with little understanding of her Japanese heritage other than a few words or phrases. Her grandparents, of course, are still well steeped in their Japanese culture, and Angela has to figure things out for herself, because it's not part of the culture to provide clear lessons. Just not done.
Angela's grandparents have a wedding business. Gramps does floral arrangements, and Grandma Michi and her daughter, Aunt Janet, make arrangements of origami cranes. There must be exactly 1001 cranes in the arrangement for each wedding. Naturally, once Angela arrives, she is set to folding paper cranes.
The problem with folding origami cranes is that it takes quite a lot of time (but a super good meditative activity). Also, Grandma Michi grades the cranes: 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D'. She goes through Angela's work at the end of each day and places the cranes into appropriate piles. This is very discouraging at first, but eventually Angela becomes pretty competent and has fewer and fewer of her cranes delegated to the 'C' and 'D' piles.
Well, lots of other things go on. Angela meets up with some local teenagers and a sick neighbor. She gets slightly more insight into the ways of her parents and grandparents. And all the crane folding turns out to be therapeutic. It's a bit of a coming of age experience for her.
But, of course, for me, it's all about the cranes. After a visit to Hiroshima some 15 years ago, I took up folding origami cranes. I've folded thousands of the damn things. My son and daughter-in-law, who met in Japan while they were over there in the JET program, wanted cranes for their wedding. Naturally, I was delegated to doing much of the folding. We had showers of white cranes along the aisles. We had little colored cranes nesting in the table centerpieces. We had mid-sized cranes holding the place cards indicating people's seating. Cranes galore. I'm grateful that my daughter-in-law didn't go through my cranes and delegate them into piles, 'A', 'B', 'C', and 'D'. Nope, bless her heart, she was just grateful for the oodles of cranes—yes, some a bit disfigured—that helped make her wedding one of the most special events ever.
Anyway, this is a great book. Probably worth 4+*s at a minimum. Y'all should definitely read it.
Angela is third generation Japanese, which basically means pretty much fully American with little understanding of her Japanese heritage other than a few words or phrases. Her grandparents, of course, are still well steeped in their Japanese culture, and Angela has to figure things out for herself, because it's not part of the culture to provide clear lessons. Just not done.
Angela's grandparents have a wedding business. Gramps does floral arrangements, and Grandma Michi and her daughter, Aunt Janet, make arrangements of origami cranes. There must be exactly 1001 cranes in the arrangement for each wedding. Naturally, once Angela arrives, she is set to folding paper cranes.
The problem with folding origami cranes is that it takes quite a lot of time (but a super good meditative activity). Also, Grandma Michi grades the cranes: 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D'. She goes through Angela's work at the end of each day and places the cranes into appropriate piles. This is very discouraging at first, but eventually Angela becomes pretty competent and has fewer and fewer of her cranes delegated to the 'C' and 'D' piles.
Well, lots of other things go on. Angela meets up with some local teenagers and a sick neighbor. She gets slightly more insight into the ways of her parents and grandparents. And all the crane folding turns out to be therapeutic. It's a bit of a coming of age experience for her.
But, of course, for me, it's all about the cranes. After a visit to Hiroshima some 15 years ago, I took up folding origami cranes. I've folded thousands of the damn things. My son and daughter-in-law, who met in Japan while they were over there in the JET program, wanted cranes for their wedding. Naturally, I was delegated to doing much of the folding. We had showers of white cranes along the aisles. We had little colored cranes nesting in the table centerpieces. We had mid-sized cranes holding the place cards indicating people's seating. Cranes galore. I'm grateful that my daughter-in-law didn't go through my cranes and delegate them into piles, 'A', 'B', 'C', and 'D'. Nope, bless her heart, she was just grateful for the oodles of cranes—yes, some a bit disfigured—that helped make her wedding one of the most special events ever.
Anyway, this is a great book. Probably worth 4+*s at a minimum. Y'all should definitely read it.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
It took a while for me to engage in this one - it's a gentle novel, even though it stars skateboards, adultery, divorce, and family conflict. Our heroine has been coerced into spending the summer with her grandparents. During the summer, she learns how to fold origami cranes. Some of the conflict and feelings seem a bit mature for a 12-year-old, but then I have to remember how old I felt then. Kinda wish the skateboarding and the urban setting was pumped up a bit, with a less girly cover. But I wasn't quite sure in what direction the book was going and the second half went quickly. Also includes interesting depictions of religion - a Buddhist temple is a major player, as is a Christian church. I enjoyed some of the more alternative friendships.
xinetr's review
4.0
for 6th grade parent-child book club...Marisa's pick.
This was a refreshing little book. More realistic than the usual parent-child book club picks have been lately. I think part of the "refreshing" feeling comes from the present-tense narration. The reader is right there, in the slightly wise-cracking 12-year-old's head.
I think Marisa is going to ask about a favorite quote from the book when we meet, so I would have to say mine is from p. 147: "I don't know if I need to be older to really appreciate Rachel." It feels like this sums up the way Angie grows during the summer. By the end of the book she has come to new appreciations about everyone.
So for hosting book club I guess I will serve either chicken teriyaki or chicken fajitas. For dessert I think I'll make that pudding with cookie crumbles (mud with dirt) dish served out of a new plant pot or ramekins , with (fake) flowers and gummy worms (p. 50) coming out of it. We'll fold cranes for an activity. Directions at the back of the book, and on youtube...!
This was a refreshing little book. More realistic than the usual parent-child book club picks have been lately. I think part of the "refreshing" feeling comes from the present-tense narration. The reader is right there, in the slightly wise-cracking 12-year-old's head.
I think Marisa is going to ask about a favorite quote from the book when we meet, so I would have to say mine is from p. 147: "I don't know if I need to be older to really appreciate Rachel." It feels like this sums up the way Angie grows during the summer. By the end of the book she has come to new appreciations about everyone.
So for hosting book club I guess I will serve either chicken teriyaki or chicken fajitas. For dessert I think I'll make that pudding with cookie crumbles (mud with dirt) dish served out of a new plant pot or ramekins , with (fake) flowers and gummy worms (p. 50) coming out of it. We'll fold cranes for an activity. Directions at the back of the book, and on youtube...!
supersandra's review against another edition
3.0
Note: this was shelved as YA but read much more as J. If it is really YA I would rate it lower than 3 stars.
krikketgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Bittersweet story of 12-year-old Angie, who is sent to stay with her maternal grandparents for the summer while her parents' marriage collapses. There is a lot to like: cultural elements deftly woven in and a believable voice for the main character. I did feel that Angie seemed in some ways older than 12, and a few little pieces of the plot seemed a little out of place; otherwise, an absorbing read.
More...