Praise for Temple Alley Summer:

This imaginative tale, enchantingly written and charmingly illustrated by veteran Japanese creators for young people, has a timeless feel. Its captivating blend of humor and mystery is undergirded with real substance that will provoke deeper contemplation. Udagawa's translation naturally and seamlessly renders the text completely accessible to non-Japanese readers. An instant classic filled with supernatural intrigue and real-world friendship.

Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review, Best Middle Grade Fiction of 2021

When an author and an illustrator with ties to books adapted into renowned Studio Ghibli masterpieces such as Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away join forces on a middle-grade fantasy adventure, you can count on it being something truly special.... Heartwarming with a supernatural touch, this beautifully captures the magic of childhood.

Kristina Pino, Booklist, Starred Review

A humorous yet thoughtful mystery chock-full of the fantastical, this is a must-read for young fans of Studio Ghiblian especially warranted comparison, as another book by Kashiwaba served as inspiration for Spirited Away. Lovingly translated into English from the original 2011 text, this version is completely accessible to an English-language audience while retaining a classic Japanese sensibility and storytelling style. Highly recommended.

****School Library Journal

A sweet ghost story, a mystery, an eerie and unsettling story-within-a-story: Finally, the work of the great Sachiko Kashiwaba, one of Japan's most revered children's authors, is available in English translation! I'm so pleased that young people who read in English can now enjoy Kashiwaba's Temple Alley Summer, and experience the pleasure and wonder of viewing the world from a less familiar angle.

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author

Imbued with a delightfully old-fashioned atmosphere, Temple Alley Summer gives its readers a wonderful glimpse of Japanese culture and traditions. And while the inner story has its scary moments, the outer one does not. The two tales form a satisfying and surprisingly deep whole that addresses questions of life, death, meaning, and friendship, all wrapped up in a supernatural summertime mystery.

Nanette McGuinness, Global Literature in Libraries Initiative

Fans of Hayao Miyazaki will love Temple Alley Summer, which takes a series of supernatural turns as young Kazu seeks to discover the truth about a mysterious classmate and help her learn the end to an unfinished story. This beguiling taleskillfully translated and charmingly illustratedimparts haunting, hopeful lessons about second chances and what it means to fully embrace life.

Leza Lowitz, author of Up from the Sea and Jet Black and the Ninja Wind

"What a thrilling discovery this book is. There are unexplained legends, ghosts, and plenty of twists and turns to keep those pages flying, but at its heart it's a story about a sensitive boy who wants to do the right thing, even when things get strange and his ordinary life is suddenly filled with the most unsettling mysteries. It's a story about friendship and about believing, and a thoroughly captivating read."

Daniel Hahn, award-winning translator and author

Utterly enchanting! Part mystery, part ghost story, this magical tale has the makings of a classic.

Suzanne Kamata, author of Pop Flies, Robo-Pets, and Other Disasters

[Kazu's] search for answers pushes him out of his comfort zone and has him face deep questions on death and morality. In this absorbing, multi-layered story, the past, the present and an unfinished fairy tale are all satisfyingly connected. Though not scary, the uncanniness of the situation lingers. This bewitching book makes me hope more of Sachiko Kashiwaba's works will be translated into English.

Suzanne Morgan, Politics and Prose (Washington, DC)

This middle-grade novel exemplifies the joys of reading children's books in translation: experiencing cultures other than one's own. Kids familiar with Japanese culture from Studio Ghibli films, though, will feel right at home in this contemporary ghost story. I hope the author's other works will be translated into English as well!

Robin Stern, Books Inc. (Campbell, CA)

It's summer break! There's time for fun and friends, but Kazu has decided to investigate a paranormal occurrence tied to the history of his street, Temple Alley. Complete with a story within a story, this summertime sleuth is mischievous and magical.

Cat Chapman, Oxford Exchange (Tampa, FL)

I loved the ghost girl, Akari, and the genuine Kazu. This could be a read-aloud or a standalone book. One of my SUMMER PICKS!!!

Kira Wizner, Merritt Bookstore (Millbrook, NY)

Autorentext

Sachiko Kashiwaba is a prolific writer of children's and young adult fantasy whose career spans more than four decades. Her works have garnered the prestigious Sankei, Shogakukan, and Noma children's literature awards, and her novel The Village Beyond the Mist inspired Hayao Miyazaki's film Spirited Away. Her works have recently been animated as the films The Wonderland and The House of the Lost on the Cape, and her novel Temple Alley Summer, illustrated by Miho Satake and translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa, won the American Library Association's 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award. She lives in Morioka, Iwate.

Klappentext

A Kirkus Reviews "Best Books of the 21st Century" Pick

Winner of the 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award

A July/August 2021 Kids' Indie Next Pick

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

From renowned Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure featuring the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko.

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.

Zusammenfassung

Winner of the 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award

A July/August 2021 Kids' Indie Next Pick

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

From renowned Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure featuring the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko.

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 nightwas 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 th…