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Temple Alley Summer
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
13 posts | 12 read | 17 to read
From renowned Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure filled with the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko featuring beautiful illustrations from Miho Satake. Kazu knows something odd is going on when he sees a girl in a white kimono sneak out of his house in the middle of the night--was he dreaming? Did he see a ghost? Things get even stranger when he shows up to school the next day to see the very same figure sitting in his classroom. No one else thinks it's weird, and, even though Kazu doesn't remember ever seeing her before, they all seem convinced that the ghost-girl Akari has been their friend for years! When Kazu's summer project to learn about Kimyo Temple draws the meddling attention of his mysterious neighbor Ms. Minakami and his secretive new classmate Akari, Kazu soon learns that not everything is as it seems in his hometown. Kazu discovers that Kimyo Temple is linked to a long forgotten legend about bringing the dead to life, which could explain Akari's sudden appearance--is she a zombie or a ghost? Kazu and Akari join forces to find and protect the source of the temple's power. An unfinished story in a magazine from Akari's youth might just hold the key to keeping Akari in the world of the living, and it's up to them to find the story's ending and solve the mystery as the adults around them conspire to stop them from finding the truth.
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blurb
Karisimo
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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This is an under the radar middle grade story in the vein of The Shadow of the Wind (a story within a story and a mysterious author) but with a Japanese setting! I highly recommend it! Oh, and summer is my favorite season!

#temptingtitles #withaseason

@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Oh this looks wonderful ❤️❤️ 2y
20 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Branwen
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

This book was awesome! Such a great summer story! ☀️🌿📚💕

BiblioLitten Made me nostalgic about my summer holidays. 2y
61 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
BiblioLitten
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Recommended by Jessie and Jesse and now by me too. 💚

#Japan #currentread #kidspick

erzascarletbookgasm Enjoyable, isn‘t it? 😊 2y
New Kid on the Book It looks cool! 2y
37 likes3 comments
review
erzascarletbookgasm
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

This captivating and enchanting story has a timeless feel. It has a fairy-tale within a ghost story, with likeable characters, that tells of second chances and living a life without regrets. Fans of Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away will enjoy this, as it‘s written by the same author whose other book - The Marvelous Village Veiled In Mist - inspired the popular animated work.
#middlegrade

56 likes3 stack adds
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Lindy
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

A fairytale within a ghost story, set in contemporary Japan—yet it feels timeless. The opening scene in this illustrated middle grade novel has a boy peeing out of his upper floor window so he doesn‘t have to negotiate the dark stairs and hallway to the bathroom. That‘s when he first spots the ghost girl. A charming tale about living with no regrets. Award-winning translation by Avery Fischer Udagawa.

44 likes1 stack add
quote
Lindy
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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“Kazu! Kazu!” my mom shouted. “Come in here, will you? Kiri-chan killed a mouse!”
I‘d been demoted from eldest son to catsitter. Kiriko saw this as a promotion for me, no doubt. Naturally our old house harboured mice. She enjoyed recreational hunting like royalty.

batsy Kiriko sounds like quite the character! 😼 3y
Lindy @batsy Her behaviour is almost spooky in this story. I like the way the book designer included black cat cameos throughout. 3y
28 likes2 comments
blurb
Lindy
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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What are the chances that I would read two books in one week about renegade congregations? The tagged middle grade book features a secret Buddhist cult, and I recently read The Books of Jacob, which is about a Jewish mysticism cult.
(Illustration is from the tagged book.)

24 likes1 stack add
review
rachelsbrittain
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

A cute middle grade novel translated from Japanese about a boy whole learns his home is a former temple where families can pray for a deceased loved one to get a second chance at life. The new girl in class that everyone but him seems to remember? Yeah, she's a ghost. And now the two must convince an elderly neighbor not to get rid of her. What does all this have to do with an unfinished story from decades ago? You'll have to read it to find out.

LindaLappin I'd love to read this! 3y
rachelsbrittain @LindaLappin I thoroughly enjoyed it! 3y
LindaLappin I will have to see if this is available in other languages besides English and Japanese. My grand-nieces read Italian, German, and Finnish but not that expert in English yet. I would never have discovered this book without Litsy!
3y
rachelsbrittain @LindaLappin I hope you can find one of those translations! I love how Litsy helps us discover books we never would've otherwise. Happens to me all the time 😊 3y
46 likes4 comments
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iread2much
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

This is a lovely book, not the best start, but once the story gets going, it‘s super engaging and interesting. A young boy finds a girl who he doesn‘t remember but everyone else does. A family secret, a hidden neighborhood history, and a lost story written by an elder when she was a young girl bring a complex and beautifully sad tale to life. 4/5 stars, read if you want to consider issues of mortality and morality.

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emtobiasz
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

Oh how lovely! I read lots of #middlegrade but very little in translation, and I was utterly charmed by this Japanese import. Fifth grader Kazu sees a girl in a white kimono emerge from his house one night— why doesn‘t he know her, like everyone else in town seems to? Is she a ghost? What secrets does his neighborhood hold? He‘ll spend his summer vacation finding out!

45 likes1 stack add
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catiewithac
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

Reviewers accurately describe this book as beguiling and enchanting! There‘s mystery, ghosts, witches, summer homework, a bossy cat, and so much kindness!! I couldn‘t put it down once I started. The illustrations are charming. And the story-within-a-story elevated this beyond YA to fairy tale status! This book is a must read for everyone!!!! 👻 🪄 🐈‍⬛ ⛩

TheBookHippie Ooooo adding to my TBR! 3y
catiewithac @TheBookHippie It‘s sooooo good!!!! 3y
iread2much Sounds awesome! 3y
59 likes1 stack add3 comments
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PNWBookseller85
Temple Alley Summer | Sachiko Kashiwaba
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Pickpick

This is a elementary-aged kids chapter book translated from Japanese and it‘s hilarious and lovely and has the sweetest illustrations and my kid and I both loved it. Comes out in the States in July. Good for readers of all ages. ❤️

Chrissyreadit @wanderinglynn could you help me get this in Japanese from Japan if I send you the money via PayPal? I think my son would enjoy this and the practice reading it. 4y
wanderinglynn @Chrissyreadit Absolutely! I‘m in restriction of movement until the 11th (because of my trip to HI), but I‘ll get it after that. 😀 (edited) 4y
85 likes3 stack adds2 comments