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