Royal Koi and Kindred Spirits by Richard M. Wainwright Ages 8-12 64 pages R.M. Wainwright Books October 2005 Hardcover     Tamiko Takeda leaves Japan and moves with her family to the United States. Her family is renowned for raising koi and have moved to America to join with another koi dealer. Tamiko is worried because she is leaving everything she has ever known and will be living in a strange place with a different culture and language. As Tamiko adjusts to her new living situation, she learns that a fellow classmate, Sergio, has leukemia. Through her compassionate spirit, Tamiko teaches others about the koi and their meanings, and Sergio communicates about his disease. Together, they learn about friendship and show others around them about love and tenacity. Royal Koi and Kindred Spirits is a fantastic story filled with love and heart. Readers will come away with a sense of another culture, one not always familiar to young readers of today. The illustrations help to convey the beautiful qualities of the koi and the gardens described in the story. Royal Koi and Kindred Spirits is recommended for parents and young readers to share and discuss the different themes involved with the touching storyline.   web reviews   Melissa Parcel/2007 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)