Flying the Dragon

NY Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
 
A young American girl grapples with her Japanese heritage in this “quiet, beautifully moving portrayal of a multicultural family” for middle grade readers (School Library Journal)
 
American-born Skye is a good student and a star soccer player who never really gives any thought to the fact that her father is Japanese. Her cousin, Hiroshi, lives in Japan, and never really gives a thought to his uncle’s family living in the United States.
 
Skye and Hiroshi’s lives are thrown together when Hiroshi’s family, with his grandfather (who is also his best friend), suddenly moves to the U.S. Now Skye doesn’t know who she is anymore: at school she's suddenly too Japanese, but at home she's not Japanese enough. Hiroshi has a hard time adjusting to life in a new culture, and resents Skye’s intrusions on his time with Grandfather. Through all of this is woven Hiroshi’s expertise, and Skye’s growing interest in, kite making and competitive rokkaku kite flying.

Natalie Dias Lorenzi is a traveler, writer, wife, mother, and teacher, specializing in English as a Second Language. She has taught in Japan and Italy, and now teaches in a Washington, DC–area school where 85% of the students are immigrants. She also writes curriculum guides to new books for writers and publishers. Flying the Dragon is her first novel.