The winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, from Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata. There is bad luck, good luck, and making your own luck—which is exactly what Summer must do to save her family.
Summer knows that kouun means “good luck” in Japanese, and this year her family has none of it. Just when she thinks nothing else can possibly go wrong, an emergency whisks her parents away to Japan—right before harvest season. Summer and her little brother, Jaz, are left in the care of their grandparents, who come out of retirement in order to harvest wheat and help pay the bills.
The thing about Obaachan and Jiichan is that they are old-fashioned and demanding, and between helping Obaachan cook for the workers, covering for her when her back pain worsens, and worrying about her lonely little brother, Summer just barely has time to notice the attentions of their boss’s cute son. But notice she does, and what begins as a welcome distraction from the hard work soon turns into a mess of its own.
Having thoroughly disappointed her grandmother, Summer figures the bad luck must be finished—but then it gets worse. And when that happens, Summer has to figure out how to change it herself, even if it means further displeasing Obaachan. Because it might be the only way to save her family.
Cynthia Kadohata’s ode to the breadbasket of America has received six starred reviews and was selected as a National Book Award Finalist.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful.
Delightful, thoughtful story with lots of humur
By Maggie Knapp
Summer and her odd, Lego-obsessed younger brother Jaz (Asperger's probably) spend a summer with their Japanese grandparents, harvesting in the wheat fields of Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Both grandparents are pushing 70, and speak in broken English, but they have an admirable work ethic and energy, though by current American parenting standards they are a bit hard on the kids, particularly Summer.What I loved about the book: abundant humor, strong "Greatest Generation" ethics, many kind but imperfect adults (just like in real life.) Summer has her first stab at romance (which doesn't go perfectly) and steps up when needed in a couple of very tough situations. While reluctant readers and Wimpy Kid fans may find this book too quiet, with too few cartoonish illustrations, `tweens who've enjoyed CHARLOTTE'S WEB, WONDER, THE BEST BAD LUCK I EVER HAD or OUT OF MY MIND should be the perfect audiences for this delightful (and funny) story.About me: I'm a middle school/high school librarianHow I got this book: purchased for the library
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful.The Thing About Luck
By Beth Cummings
This book is intended for middle school aged kids, but is an enjoyable story for adults as well. The main character is a Japanese-American girl named Summer who goes along with her brother to stay with their grandparents in Kansas while their parents deal with a family problem in Japan. The grandparents are part of a custom combining crew that travels from Kansas south into Texas and then back north through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota harvesting the wheat crop. Much of the story is a "coming of age" tale involving this girl, but other parts describe quite accurately the lifestyle of the harvesters.I was especially intrigued because I have relatives who have done custom combining, so it was interesting to see how this story matched up with what I had heard before.I would recommend the book for 10-12 year old readers and to adults who are interested in this topic. It would be a good book for a middle school library.
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful.Warm and quietly wise
By VerbRiver
When both television and I were much younger, there was a short and inviting program on Sunday afternoon. It used time lapse photography to make blooming flowers dance to classical music. Something very much like that is at work in this lovely book.This is a quiet work about a girl adding size to her life. She has an introvert brother and ailing but tenacious grandparents. Of Japanese ancestry, they all live in Kansas but travel seasonally to harvest wheat on the Plains. The time frame covers perhaps a month of their lives.There is very little action but a great deal of change. The young brother begins to stir. The grandparents are strong in character even as they physically weaken. And the girl gently emerges as she confronts a test of integrity and passes. Then she commits an act of family heroism, but does it in near anonymity and in the night. It is a firm step toward maturity, her only reward the satisfaction of knowing she came through.Such a touching, comfortable book.
