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Rating: 
Summary: anti-adult, anti-Christian
Review: As someone who used to live in Japan, I was eager to read this. I hoped to find a book that my daughter could read to give her a glimpse of the life I used to know. However, I would not recommend this to any teen. The book is disturbing, because with the exception of a young, divorced, athiest, all of the adults are portrayed as either naive, frumpy, foolish, or hypocritical. The author is especially harsh on the Christian characters, both adults and teens, but also portrays others with religious beliefs negatively. Only the atheist comes out shining. The overall mood of the book is very negative. I was glad when I finished it. I gave it 2 stars instead of 1, because it does have some literary merit, unlike a lot of the stuff teens read these days.
Rating: 
Summary: The best YA book
Review: beautifully written, and very interesting. It was hard to put down, once started.
Rating:
Summary: Another great book by Mori!
Review: I personally felt that this book wasn't as strong as Shizuko's Daughter, it is however, basically the same plot. The mother is not longer with in this case, Megumi, and the father doesn't care. He had a lover on a distant island, so someone moves in to care for Megumi. This book does contain many subplots, Megumi works for Dr. Mizutani, and discovers so much more about herself, about birds, and about caring. They develop a close bond, sharing their stories, and helping eachother. With the Kato's, it is a different bond, they had once been close, when Megumi realizes what she knew all along "There was no God" after admitting her loss of faith, she realized she could no longer be close friends with the Kato's and breaks connections. Toru, moves in from Tokyo and they develop an even closer bond, maybe even further than friendship...?
Her mother lives with her grandfather and Megumi must find the courage to stand up for herself, to get what she wants, to visit her mother...Her father seems to stand up for her, and yet neglect her. Her grandmother seems to care not-at-all, but she cares enough to make the sandwiches, and all of those stories "Grandmother is really a nice person" what does it mean?
This book is great, but lacks the tension, the strong feelings, that her first book had. but read it anyway, you won't regret it...! ^_^
Rating: 
Summary: ONE BIRD = Lies?
Review: I've come to the conclusion that I don't like this author very much. All of her books boil down to her past. It's understandable if she can't put down her mother's suicide but to write so much stuff on the same topic... Like "Shizuko's Daughter", this book is about a daughter growing up alone. Unfortunately, I was not in the mood for her boohooing all over again. All I could think of while I was reading that book was "What is this?". Like the author, I am Japanese and have spent most of my life in Japan and am getting read to move back to Japan. Again, she stresses the discipline of the Japanese public school system. From reading her memoirs, I know that she personally never attended one. She simply listened to all the bad about them, and portrays them in a negative way. Basically speaking? It's another way for her to boohoo about her past and to put down Japan. She's biased, and I don't recommend this stuff to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Shizuko's Daughter, but a winner nonetheless!
Review: Megumi is a high school tenth-grader living in Japan in 1975. Megumi's life is a rather hard, cold, and lonely one. Her mother has left to go live with her grandfather using the excuse that he needs someone to take care of him, but Megumi knows that this is a lie.The only reason that her mother left was because she and her father coudln't stand each other, but getting a divorce would shame the family and the family's name. Megumi is very confused in the beginning of the book, if her mother loved her then why did she leave without her? Megumi's father and grandmother aren't exactly perfect guardians to top it off. Megumi's father is almost never home either out on business or visiting his girlfriend in Hiroshima who owns a bar and doesn't have a very honorable name. Megumi's grandmother is a cranky old woman who always complains about Megumi. Megumi meets a young, inspiring veterinarian by the name of Dr. Mituzani. Dr. Mituzani has had a hard past as well, but shows a strength that Megumi admires. Megumi helps take care of the birds at Dr. Mituzani's office, and finds much joy in watching sick or wounded birds heal. Many eventful changes occur in Megumi's life; Megumi stops believing in God, she loses her close friendship with her former best friend, and she learns that when her mother left her she missed Megumi as much as she said she did, and she truly did love Megumi.
Rating: 
Summary: One Bird
Review: The protaganist of this story, Megumi tells of her frustration at her mother's "running-away", her religious ideas, her friendships, and strained relations with her father and grandmother.
Megumi's mother runs away from an unhappy marriage to her father leaving Megumi alone. Her father calls on his mother to keep house for him. Megumi sees her grandmother as a grouchy old women and has no one to turn to. It is at this moment she meets the veterinarian Dr. Mizutani who offers her consolation and the understanding she needs.
With the help of Dr. Mizutani and her old friend Toru Megumi is able to stand up to her father asking for what she knows is right. To see her mother again. Written in the beautifully descriptive style that only Kyoko Mori can accomplish, this story tells you the cultural difficulties of life without a mother in Japan, 1970.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent well-written book
Review: This book was a remarkable. It described the difficult four months that Megumi had to live through without her mother. I found this book not only interesting but emotional as well. It was well-written with lots of description allowing me to feel as if I was in the book along with the other characters. I recommend this book to anyone who has not yet read it.
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