Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata is the 2005 Newbery award winner.
Chronicles the close friendship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and the despair when one sister becomes terminally ill.

I was worried about this novel with a terminally ill sibling, we all know's means death in those days. But this was a very uplifting book and I felt sad to leave these characters as the author really was able to make them seem real to me. I'm so glad it won the Newbery this year. So far two of my favorite novels have been Newbery award winners. I love Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo.

Cynthia Kadohata is from the Los Angeles area so we're hoping to get her to speak for the library.