Finding a Good Book

My poor library media specialist. She thought she retired last year. She came in to volunteer, and there I was asking her an impossible question: to help me find a book when I couldn't remember either the title or the author. My thought process was something like this.

(Holding a copy of A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata) "I remember a book, I think it was by Cynthia Kadohata, but I don't see it on the shelf with her books. I don't remember the title. I remember picking it up because her Newbery winner (Kira-Kira) was such a powerful story. The book I'm looking for has a unique piece; in between chapters, the author "talked" to the main character. It was about a Korean-American family, not a Japanese-American family like Kira-Kira. The main character was raising silkworms for a 4-H style project.... I can't remember any more!"

Of course she couldn't help me.

I told my helpful and well-meaning friend that I'd do a little searching online and get back to her. I was just at a loss.

I went home and entered "young adult novel" and "silkworms" and found it. It was almost too simple.

Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park, Newbery Award winner for A Single Shard.

Don't judge me; it was late on a Friday afternoon.

By the way, Project Mulberry is an amazing book. So is A Single Shard. I highly recommend them both. As for Kadohata? When you read Kira Kira, have an entire box of tissues by your side. And if you have any reading stamina left, find Cracker; the best dog in Vietnam. But stock up on tissues again before you start to read.

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