Cynthia Kadohata Books in Order

Growing up in the 1950s, Olivia travels with her Japanese American family as changing jobs keep them moving between communities. Her memories of parents, siblings, and a formidable grandmother explore belonging, family tensions, and the instability of a transient childhood.

In a future Los Angeles divided by wealth and scarcity, young Francie navigates relationships amid growing social instability. Everyday struggles over food, water, transportation, and education frame a story about maintaining human connections in an increasingly uncertain city.

Mariska's comfortable life in Bakshami is disrupted when war threatens her village and her parents leave to negotiate peace. Accompanied by a young warrior, she ventures beyond familiar surroundings to search for them and confront an uncertain future.

Katie Takeshima relies on her older sister Lynn to find wonder in life after their Japanese American family moves to Georgia. When Lynn becomes seriously ill, Katie struggles to preserve that sense of hope as hardship threatens the family's stability.

After Pearl Harbor, twelve-year-old Sumiko and her Japanese American family are forced from their California flower farm into an Arizona incarceration camp. A developing friendship with a Mohave boy brings questions of belonging, prejudice, and displacement into sharp focus.

German shepherd Cracker and young soldier Rick Hanski are paired for dangerous work during the Vietnam War. Their developing trust becomes essential to their partnership, with the narrative following both handler and dog as they face unfamiliar demands and risks.

Shelby and her three half sisters depend on one another despite their mother's unconventional way of life. When a family crisis sends each girl to live with her respective father, maintaining their bond becomes an urgent shared challenge.

Young elephant handler Y'Tin dreams of a future working with animals, but an attack on his Vietnamese village destroys that certainty. Escaping into the jungle with his elephant, he struggles with separation, distrust, and the consequences of war.

When an emergency takes her parents to Japan, Summer and her brother accompany their grandparents through wheat-harvest season. Work, family expectations, and mounting difficulties force Summer to take responsibility as she searches for ways to protect their livelihood.

Adopted boy Jaden fears that his parents' plan to adopt a baby means they want to replace him. Traveling with them to Kazakhstan, he forms an unexpected connection with a toddler that challenges his anger and emotional distance.

Conor and his father organize their lives around hockey until their dog Sinbad develops cancer. Giving up costly lessons to help fund treatment forces Conor to reconsider his priorities and discover who he is beyond the sport.

After World War II, Hanako's family leaves America for Japan following their incarceration and loss of citizenship. Living near devastated Hiroshima with her grandparents, she confronts hunger, uncertainty, and the difficult search for a place where she belongs.

Feeling overshadowed by her three brothers, Becca discovers a sense of purpose when she rescues a sick piglet. Saucy's rapid growth creates problems at home, while questions about her origins draw the siblings toward a shared responsibility.

Sixteen-year-old Elijah believes getting high with his friends is harmless until vaping becomes a devastating addiction. Facing consequences he cannot undo, he must reconsider the choices that brought him here and discover who he is beyond the habit.