panda_incognito's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars, rounded up.
I didn't read this Girl of the Year duology when it originally released, and that was a good call. I would have hated it in early 2011, when I was going through the roughest phase of my life. I remember seeing this at the library back then and feeling disdainful about the premise of Kanani making her cousin feel welcome through the power of aloha, because that is a far cry from the very serious issues that other American Girl characters have faced. However, as an adult, I can appreciate that this is a perfectly fine contemporary juvenile chapter book.
Kanani doesn't face any significant hardships in this book, and it is very light on plot and substance. It mainly just involves her welcoming her cousin to the island, dealing with misunderstandings, and helping save an endangered seal. It's the kind of stuff that I would have rolled my eyes at in early 2011, but it's all perfectly fine for the younger target audience. The story cannot live up to classic American Girl content, but the book has good prose, beautiful illustrations, a well-described Hawaiian cultural setting, and positive messages about empathy and family.
I didn't read this Girl of the Year duology when it originally released, and that was a good call. I would have hated it in early 2011, when I was going through the roughest phase of my life. I remember seeing this at the library back then and feeling disdainful about the premise of Kanani making her cousin feel welcome through the power of aloha, because that is a far cry from the very serious issues that other American Girl characters have faced. However, as an adult, I can appreciate that this is a perfectly fine contemporary juvenile chapter book.
Kanani doesn't face any significant hardships in this book, and it is very light on plot and substance. It mainly just involves her welcoming her cousin to the island, dealing with misunderstandings, and helping save an endangered seal. It's the kind of stuff that I would have rolled my eyes at in early 2011, but it's all perfectly fine for the younger target audience. The story cannot live up to classic American Girl content, but the book has good prose, beautiful illustrations, a well-described Hawaiian cultural setting, and positive messages about empathy and family.
simplyparticular's review against another edition
3.0
I read both the books this weekend. My review is from the viewpoint as mother of a 4.5 DD who isn't ready for the doll, but now I'll know when she's ready for the books. These are the first GOTY books I've read, and I was pleased with them. The illustrations are gorgeous.
Aloha, Kanani - I like that Kanani learns to put herself in the place of her confused, homesick cousin, and not just focus on herself and her plans. And I think the "moral" is handled fairly subtly, and is mixed in with other parts about being kind to the elderly, being good to neighbors.
In some ways Kanani is too perfect (taking care of her pets), in other ways she has room to grow. And her parents are almost entirely absent - the adult figures are all elderly neighbors. Kanani seems to have full run of the island, and both books take place in the summer so no school element.
Overall, a satisfying book with some important lessons about empathy that are handled well.
Aloha, Kanani - I like that Kanani learns to put herself in the place of her confused, homesick cousin, and not just focus on herself and her plans. And I think the "moral" is handled fairly subtly, and is mixed in with other parts about being kind to the elderly, being good to neighbors.
In some ways Kanani is too perfect (taking care of her pets), in other ways she has room to grow. And her parents are almost entirely absent - the adult figures are all elderly neighbors. Kanani seems to have full run of the island, and both books take place in the summer so no school element.
Overall, a satisfying book with some important lessons about empathy that are handled well.
mrskatiefitz's review
4.0
This review is of both books in the Kanani series.
Kanani Akina was American Girl’s Girl of the Year 2011. Her books, Aloha, Kanani, and Good Job, Kanani are set in Waipuna, in Kauai, Hawaii, where her family owns a shave ice store. In the first book, Kanani’s cousin, Rachel comes from New York, and the two girls get off to a rocky start because each girl thinks the other is bragging about her city of origin, but ultimately become great friends. In the second book, Kanani takes on the job of selling shave ice on the beach in order to raise money to save the monk seals, but runs into trouble with her best friend when she would rather surf than help Kanani work.
It had been a long time since I’d read an American Girl book, and these looked so appealing when they arrived at my library, that I took them home before putting them out on the shelf. I read them in the same night, one right after the other, and found myself really surprised by how well-written they are, and how positive, without being cheesy. I really like the direct, upbeat language Yee uses to describe her characters and the Hawaiian setting. I also enjoyed Kanani’s first-person journal entries in Aloha, Kanani, and her letters to Rachel in Good Job, Kanani, which gave insight into her thoughts that might have been missed by the primarily third-person narration.
The activism portion of the books was especially interesting. Kanani’s knowledge about the endangered monk seals and her continued heroic efforts to preserve their safety and well-being were admirable, and her passion for helping the endangered animals will undoubtedly inspire girls with an interest in marine biology, or veterinary medicine. Like the historical American Girl stories, Kanani’s books focus on universal themes of friendship, girl power, empathy, and community-mindedness, and create a positive, feminine, and educational reading experience. I really strongly recommend these books to tween girls who are less interested in dating and fashion and more excited about friendship, animals, and saving the world. They also make a wonderful girly alternative to the Calvin Coconut series, another set of books that very strongly evokes the Hawaiian climate.
Kanani Akina was American Girl’s Girl of the Year 2011. Her books, Aloha, Kanani, and Good Job, Kanani are set in Waipuna, in Kauai, Hawaii, where her family owns a shave ice store. In the first book, Kanani’s cousin, Rachel comes from New York, and the two girls get off to a rocky start because each girl thinks the other is bragging about her city of origin, but ultimately become great friends. In the second book, Kanani takes on the job of selling shave ice on the beach in order to raise money to save the monk seals, but runs into trouble with her best friend when she would rather surf than help Kanani work.
It had been a long time since I’d read an American Girl book, and these looked so appealing when they arrived at my library, that I took them home before putting them out on the shelf. I read them in the same night, one right after the other, and found myself really surprised by how well-written they are, and how positive, without being cheesy. I really like the direct, upbeat language Yee uses to describe her characters and the Hawaiian setting. I also enjoyed Kanani’s first-person journal entries in Aloha, Kanani, and her letters to Rachel in Good Job, Kanani, which gave insight into her thoughts that might have been missed by the primarily third-person narration.
The activism portion of the books was especially interesting. Kanani’s knowledge about the endangered monk seals and her continued heroic efforts to preserve their safety and well-being were admirable, and her passion for helping the endangered animals will undoubtedly inspire girls with an interest in marine biology, or veterinary medicine. Like the historical American Girl stories, Kanani’s books focus on universal themes of friendship, girl power, empathy, and community-mindedness, and create a positive, feminine, and educational reading experience. I really strongly recommend these books to tween girls who are less interested in dating and fashion and more excited about friendship, animals, and saving the world. They also make a wonderful girly alternative to the Calvin Coconut series, another set of books that very strongly evokes the Hawaiian climate.
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