I read every book that Judy Blume ever wrote, and some trashy series like the Babysitter’s Club or this one about cheerleaders. But I also read a lot of books that won Newbery medals. This award, for those of you who may not be so in the know about children’s literature, is the Pulitzer prize of children’s books.

I don’t remember reading too many stories that had Asian American protagonists. Or even Asian American characters, for that matter. In fact, I can only think of one: In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord.

Well, now we can add another to the list. Yesterday, a novel about a Japanese American girl growing up in the South in the 1950s received the 2005 John Newbery Award. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata tells the story of Katie, as she struggles to find her way in rural Georgia and deal with her sister’s death from lymphoma.

I may be all grown up now (more or less) but I think I’ll read it anyways.