A review by mrskatiefitz
Aloha, Kanani, by Lisa Yee
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.