Whiting Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 7 (1991) Winner
Cynthia Kadohata
シンシア・カドハタ
Cynthia Kadohata
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1956-07-02 （Chicago, Illinois, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Los Angeles, United States (as of Jan 2021)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Children's/Young adult author
- Active Years
- 1986-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Southern California | Journalism (BA) | Journalism | BA | 1975-1979 | United States |
| University of Pittsburgh | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Columbia University | — | — | — | — | United States |
University of Southern California
Journalism (BA)
/ Journalism
Degree:
BA
Period:
1975-1979
Year of Graduation:
1979
Country:
United States
BA in Journalism
University of Pittsburgh
Country:
United States
Attended graduate program (completion unconfirmed)
Columbia University
Country:
United States
Attended graduate program (completion unconfirmed)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Whiting Award | — | — | The Whiting Foundation | Winner |
| 2005 | Newbery Medal | Kira-Kira | — | Association for Library Service to Children (ALA) | Winner |
| 2006 | PEN USA Award | — | — | PEN America (PEN USA) | Winner |
| 2013 | National Book Award for Young People's Literature | The Thing About Luck | — | National Book Foundation | Winner |
| 2011 | California Young Reader Medal | — | — | California Young Reader Medal | Winner |
Whiting Award
1991
Organization:
The Whiting Foundation
Result:
Winner
Newbery Medal
2005
Work:
Kira-Kira
Organization:
Association for Library Service to Children (ALA)
Result:
Winner
PEN USA Award
2006
Organization:
PEN America (PEN USA)
Result:
Winner
National Book Award for Young People's Literature
2013
Work:
The Thing About Luck
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
Winner
California Young Reader Medal
2011
Organization:
California Young Reader Medal
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
2 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2005) Winner
-
Edition 0 (2013) Winner
Newbery Medal (John Newbery Medal)
1 appearances
-
Edition 84 (2005) Winner
Jane Addams Children's Book Award
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
Kira-Kira
2004 Children's / Young adult literatureA young adult novel about the bond between sisters in a Japanese-American family, exploring daily life, cultural tensions, and coping with illness and loss.
FamilyImmigrant experienceLoss and coming of age
Weedflower
2006 Children's / Historical fictionA children's historical novel set against the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, following a young girl and exploring identity and life in a relocation camp.
InternmentIdentityHistorical memory
The Thing About Luck
2013 Children's literatureA story about luck and family ties, portraying a life of frequent moves and exploring the meaning of luck and familial bonds.
FamilyLuckComing of age
The Floating World
1989 Literary fictionAn early novel about immigrant families and the rootless coming-of-age of their children; includes elements such as the family's work sexing chicks.
ImmigrationAlienationWork and family
Bibliography
- The Floating World (1989)
- In the Heart of the Valley of Love (1992)
- The Glass Mountains (1995)
- Kira-Kira (2004)
- Weedflower (2006)
- Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam (2007)
- Outside Beauty (2008)
- A Million Shades of Gray (2010)
- The Thing About Luck (2013)
- Half a World Away (2014)
- Checked (2018)
- A Place to Belong (2019)
- Vape (2023)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Concise, empathetic descriptionsAccessible voice for children and young adults
- Recurring Motifs
- Family bondsImmigrant experience and cultural frictionSmall daily moments
Legacy
Bringing Japanese-American perspectives to children's and young-adult literature, she is recognized for significant contributions to American children's literature, evidenced by major awards (Newbery Medal, National Book Award, etc.).
Archives
- Library of Congress (LCCN: n88107455)
Trivia
- Her father worked as a chick sexer, an experience that influenced her fiction.
- Her first short story, "Charlie O.", was published in The New Yorker in 1986.
- As of 2021 she was living in Los Angeles.