Cynthia Kadohata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cynthia Kadohata
|
|
|---|---|
Kadohata in 2014-2015
|
|
| Born | July 2, 1956 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA) |
| Genre | Children's and Young-adult literature |
| Notable works |
|
| Notable awards | Whiting Award 1991 Newbery Medal 2005 PEN USA 2006 National Book Award 2013 |
| Children | Sammy |
Cynthia Kadohata (born July 2, 1956) is a Japanese American writer. She writes amazing books for children and young adults. She is famous for her novel Kira-Kira, which won the important Newbery Medal in 2005. She also won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2013 for her book The Thing About Luck.
About Cynthia Kadohata
Cynthia Kadohata was born in Chicago, Illinois. She went to the University of Southern California. There, she earned a degree in journalism in 1979. She also studied at other universities later on.
Cynthia started her writing journey by sending short stories to magazines. Her very first story, called "Charlie O.", was published in The New Yorker magazine in 1986. Other stories appeared in different literary magazines.
Her Books and Inspiration
Many of Cynthia Kadohata's books are inspired by her own life or history.
- Weedflower was published in 2006. This book is about the Poston internment camp. This was a place where Japanese Americans, including Cynthia's father, were held during World War II.
- Her book Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam came out in 2007. It tells a story about the Vietnam War from the point of view of a war dog.
- Outside Beauty (2008) is another novel for young readers. It's about a 13-year-old girl and her three sisters. They are separated after their mother has an accident.
Two of Cynthia's books, The Floating World and Kira-Kira, talk about "chick sexing." This is a job where people sort baby chicks to tell if they are male or female. Cynthia's own father worked as a chick sexer when she was growing up. This personal experience inspired her stories.
As of 2021, Cynthia Kadohata lives in Los Angeles. She shares her home with her family and her dogs.
Cynthia Kadohata's Novels
Here are some of the novels Cynthia Kadohata has written:
- The Floating World (1989)
- In the Heart of the Valley of Love (1992)
- The Glass Mountains (1995)
- Kira-Kira (2004)
- Won the Newbery Medal
- Won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Youth Literature
- Weedflower (2006)
- Won the PEN USA Award
- Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam (2007)
- Won the California Young Reader Medal in 2011
- Also won several other state book awards
- Outside Beauty (2008)
- A Million Shades of Gray (2010)
- The Thing About Luck (2013)
- Won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature
- Won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Youth Literature
- Half a World Away (2014)
- Checked (2018)
- A Place to Belong (2019)
- Vape (2023)
Short Stories
Cynthia Kadohata has also written several short stories:
- Charlie O. (1986)
- Seven Moons (1988)
- Breece D'J Pancake (1989)
- Gray Girl (1999)
