1001 Cranes by Naomi Hirahara

Hirahara, Naomi. 1001 Cranes. New York: Delacorte, 2008.

Angie is being sent away for the summer. She's to stay with her grandparents and help them make the 1001 crane displays for weddings. Angie knows something is wrong with her family, but her parents aren't talking. She knows her father has another apartment because she answered t he phone when his new landlady called. She fears the worst. Are her parents getting a divorce? In the midst of all this personal trouble, Angie struggles to learn origami, in particular the folding of cranes. She meets a boy, helps a neighbor, and realizes that there are kids who have worse troubles.

What I thought: I liked this books. I found it to be a poignant portrayal of what would be going through a child's mind if her parents were having marital problems. The interesting cultural details (mainly the 1001 crane displays) added to the book's appeal.