In the dead of night, Kazu spies a girl in white emerging from his family’s altar room in Masuda, Japan. The next day, Kazu is bewildered when his classmates act as though the girl, Akari, has been a member of their class for years. When he learns that his house was once the site of Kimyoji, or “return-to-life temple,” Kazu suspects Akari may be a ghost; he’s even more certain after his uncle tells him that their family has been protecting a Kimyo Temple statuette with the power to bring the dead to life. Kazu befriends Akari and learns that she died as a child 40 years ago. When an elderly neighbor steals the statuette from his family’s altar with intent to destroy it, Kazu is determined to help Akari enjoy the time she has left. He helps her track down a story she’d begun reading before her death and wants to finish. Upon discovering that the ending was never written, the two embark on a search for the author with the hope of persuading her to complete it, making a surprising discovery in the process. Readers will root for Kazu and Akari, while the story-within-the-story, printed in full, is as gripping and magical as the primary ghost story. Both are rich with themes of friendship, second chances, and making the most of the time you’re given. (Ages 8-12)

Winner of the 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award

A July/August 2021 Kids' Indie Next Pick

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

From renowned Japanese children's author Sachiko Kashiwaba, Temple Alley Summer is a fantastical and mysterious adventure featuring the living dead, a magical pearl, and a suspiciously nosy black cat named Kiriko.

Kazu knows something odd is going on when he sees a girl in a white kimono sneak out of his house in the middle of the night--was he dreaming? Did he see a ghost? Things get even stranger when he shows up to school the next day to see the very same figure sitting in his classroom. No one else thinks it's weird, and, even though Kazu doesn't remember ever seeing her before, they all seem convinced that the ghost-girl Akari has been their friend for years!

When Kazu's summer project to learn about Kimyo Temple draws the meddling attention of his mysterious neighbor Ms. Minakami and his secretive new classmate Akari, Kazu soon learns that not everything is as it seems in his hometown. Kazu discovers that Kimyo Temple is linked to a long forgotten legend about bringing the dead to life, which could explain Akari's sudden appearance--is she a zombie or a ghost? Kazu and Akari join forces to find and protect the source of the temple's power. An unfinished story in a magazine from Akari's youth might just hold the key to keeping Akari in the world of the living, and it's up to them to find the story's ending and solve the mystery as the adults around them conspire to stop them from finding the truth.