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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 741
EAN num: 9780759523845
ISBN number: 0759523843
Label: Yen Press
Manufacturer: Yen Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 528
Printing Date: September 30, 2008
Publishing house: Yen Press
Sale Popularity Level: 77168
Studio: Yen Press
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A little effort goes a long way-that's what Sachiko, Honda-san, and Gunji-sensei learn as they struggle to work together to make life easier for the Special Education children. With the help of gadgets and the support of more people in their environment than meets the eye, Hikaru and Miyu become able to communicate better with the world around them. But when Hikaru's teen idol classmate sends some mothers into a flashbulb frenzy that causes Hikaru to panic, other parents begin to question his presence alongside 'normal' students in the classroom. Hikaru's very first school trip also ends in disaster, when he gets separated from the group, and Sachiko begins to worry that Hikaru is losing his hard-fought place in society.
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This stellar series makes me think of the 1968 George Harrison song, "The Inner Light" and the spiritual "This Little Light of Mine (I'm Gonna Let it Shine)." This book might make you cry. This is the third book in a series about Hikaru Azuma, a child with autism.
Since this book was written in the Japanese manga style, readers are also treated to Japanese literary culture. The book's story sequence is from right to left, which is the opposite of most Western languages. A glossary of Japanese words and a list of Japanese holidays and description of services for people with autism are provided as well. Readers are engaging in a form of cultural sharing with this book.
Sachiko and Masato Azuma's very first child, Hikaru has severe autism. Hikaru is a linking of cultures as well. Masato's mother is Western and his late father was plainly Japanese. Sachiko is Western. Hikaru is more Asian in appearance than his sister, Kanon. There are other non-Asian and even Eurasian characters which provide a "diverse" look at Japan and Japanese culture.
Readers are treated to aspects of Japanese culture. Holidays and popular movies and shows are listed. Readers get a good, clear picture of Japanese culture and services. The book also includes useful websites about autism and can also be seen as a good resource tool.
In this third installment, Hikaru, now 10 and in 5th grade is coping with a poorly matched teacher, Gunji-san. Miyu, his younger classmate has a much more severe form of autism. Luckily, Hikaru's old friends from day care, Nobuaki and Moe as well as a new peer mentor, Yoshida are there for him. Moe-chan, ever Hikaru's protector remains a loyal friend as does the high spirited, rough and tumble fun loving Nobuaki as well as their fair-minded, logical friend, Tanaka-kun. He is the only one of the three who has known Hikaru since they were infants. Moe and Nobuaki were Hikaru's day care classmates.
Tanaka-kun has become a local celebrity. Luckily, his teacher insists that the parents not photograph the boy in his classroom; he said that Tanaka was his student first. Sadly, the bright flashbulbs set Hikaru off and the parents fear that he might not be well suited for his part-time inclusion in a 5th grade class.
Hikaru, like many with autism has language processing issues. He does not respond when another child greets him; noises upset him and he responds to his world largely on a sensory level. Bright and determined, he remains fixed and focused on whatever he is currently involved in. Rigid thinking patterns are often a part of autism.
The illustrations are nothing short of phenomenal and the character development vivid brilliant. Kanon, Hikaru's toddler sister is by now enrolled in day care and has the same outstanding teacher Hikaru, Moe and the others had just a few years earlier. Bright and high spirited, she continues giving her brother crash courses in interaction.
Old friends are reunited. In one especially moving part of the story, Nobuaki said he wished Hikaru could stay in his [Nobuaki's] class forever. It is Nobuaki and Moe who have helped Hikaru the most with peer interaction. They were beautiful examples of tolerance.
The students are reunited with Aoki-sensei, Hikaru and Miyu's extraordinary teacher. He has been transferred to another school and his former pupils meet again on a class overnight trip. The kind volunteer who, in Volume 2 who had lost her son with autism joined forces with other volunteers and set up a respite center. Hikaru travels with an aide who supervises him and lets him escape when the noise level is too much. Nobuaki, a fun-loving boisterous and large personality even apologizes when his loud, perfectly appropriate splashing play was upsetting to Hikaru. I like the way these kids took Hikaru under their wing and learned to view him with compassion and tolerance. That is what keeps the light shining.
At times, one could easily forget that this is a novel. Serious topics such street brawls, drunkenness, developing sexuality and sexual awareness are realistically and sensitively included in this third installment. This book has a preface by a parent in Japan who has a child with autism. It is very interesting to learn about autism services in other countries. The Japanese character for "autism" is "closed off" or "cloistered self." The irony of the Japanese character for autism is that Hikaru is part of a very integrated community and, thanks to Moe, Nobuaki and others is anything but cloistered.
Keiko Tobe has unified people from all over the world with this stellar series. She wisely included explanations and descriptions of Japanese culture and mores as well as some humor. I like the way she talks about people who have influenced this book. While Tobe does not go into great detail about autism, her story and the magnificent ... Read More
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