AKITA and CARLO
AKITA and CARLO AKITA and CARLO CHAPTER 1Waking Up "Time for breakfast, Akita and Maki!" Akita's mom calls. In Tokyo, Japan, Akita shuffles sleepily across the tatami floor. Mom is making a hot rice cereal called okayu (o-ki-u). "I'm hungry!" Akita says, sitting down at the kotatsu. A kotatsu is a low table where they sit on pillows to eat. After breakfast, Akita rolls up her mattress and quilts and puts them away in a closet. Akita has an American pen pal, Lara. She knows Lara has toast a
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AKITA and CARLO
AKITA and CARLO
CHAPTER 1Waking Up
"Time for breakfast, Akita and Maki!" Akita's mom calls.In Tokyo, Japan, Akita shuffles sleepily across the tatami floor.Mom is making a hot rice cereal called okayu (o-ki-u)."I'm hungry!" Akita says, sitting down at the kotatsu.A kotatsu is a low table where they sit on pillows to eat.After breakfast, Akita rolls up her mattress and quilts and puts them away in a closet.
Akita has an American pen pal, Lara.She knows Lara has toast and cold cereal for breakfast.Lara also sleeps in a bed up off of the floor.
Meanwhile, in Florence, Italy, Carlo eats breakfast at the kitchen table with his parents and older sisters.His breakfast is different from Akita's."Yum! My favorite breakfast," Carlo says as he takes a bite of a roll and a sip of hot chocolate.
After breakfast, Carlo dresses in shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers.He thinks about his cousin David in New York City.David wears the same kind of clothes that Carlo wears,but unlike Carlo, he travels to school by subway.
CHAPTER 2 Going to School
Akita and her brother, Maki, get ready to walk to school.They both wear school uniforms. "Don't forget your yellow cap," Akita reminds Maki.They leave the apartment at 8:15.Drivers can easily see their bright caps, which helps them stay safe.
Akita and Maki remove their shoes and caps at school and then put on slippers.Next, they head to their classrooms. Akita bows and greets her teacher."Ohayo gozai masu (good morning), sensei (teacher)."Her friend Lara told her that American children say good morning to their teacher too.But unlike Japanese children, they don't bow."Imagine not bowing," thinks Akita. "How odd."
"Buonguirno (bwon-ZHOR-no)!"This is how Carlo says good morning to his teacher and classmates in Florence.He knows them all very well because they were together last year.In fact, they will all be together until he finishes the fifth grade.
Carlo knows school is different in the United States.His American cousin David has a different teacher and many new classmates every year."That must be so strange for him," thinks Carlo.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Akita studies Japanese writing called kanji."Kanji is my favorite subject," Akita says.The Japanese writing system has many characters.Learning thousands of characters takes a long time.Writing them is like drawing pictures.Sometimes Akita includes a few Japanese characters in her letters to her friend Lara.
After kanji, Akita studies math, social studies, and science.During the week, she also has art, music, and computer class.Akita knows that Lara has many of the same subjects.
