First published 2013
Summer understands that kouun means good luck in Japanese. Her family has experienced the opposite this year. An emergency forces her parents to travel to Japan right before harvest season begins. Summer and her younger brother Jaz must stay with their grandparents, Obaachan and Jiichan. The elderly couple follows old traditions, sets high standards, and shows disappointment easily. Summer cooks for farm workers alongside Obaachan while managing countless other tasks. She worries constantly about Jaz, who struggles to connect with other children. A distraction that initially seems positive creates serious problems instead. The situation brings more disappointment to her grandparents. Summer realizes she cannot wait for circumstances to improve on their own. She must create her own kouun because making her own luck may be the only solution that can rescue her family from their troubles.
Genres: family-life, coming-of-age, contemporary, asian-american
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Japan
270 pages · Hardcover · Atheneum Books for Young Readers