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Jenny Kimura
Jenny, who is half Japanese and half American, has a hard time adjusting to her grandmother when she is invited to America for the summer.
- GenresYoung Adult
217 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
About the author
Betty Cavanna
87 books62 followersAmerican juvenile author (full name: Elizabeth Allen) Betty Cavanna suffered from a crippling disease, infantile paralysis, as a child, which she eventually overcame with treatment and exercise. During her convalescence, attentive adults read to her until she was old enough to read to herself, beginning a long love affair with books.
Cavanna majored in journalism at the New Jersey College for Women in New Brunswick, from where she received the Bachelor of Letters degree in 1929. She also took art classes in New York and Philadelphia. Cavanna's first job was as a reporter for the Bayonne Times. In 1931 she joined the staff of the Westminster Press in Philadelphia and over the next ten years served as advertising manager and art director. She also wrote and sold material to Methodist and Baptist publishing firms. In 1940 she married Edward Talman Headley, with whom she had a son. They moved to Philadelphia. After her husband's death, she married George Russell Harrison, a university dean of science, as well as nonfiction writer, in 1957. He died in 1979.
Cavanna became a full-time writer in 1941. Since then she has written more than seventy books under the name of Betty Cavanna as well as two pseudonyms: Betsy Allen, under which she wrote the "Connie Blair Mystery" series, and Elizabeth Headley, under which she wrote several books, including the Diane stories. As Betty Cavanna she also published the nonfiction "Around the World Today" about young people living in various countries.
Cavanna's juvenile fiction, about the difficulties of adolescenc, appealed to generations of teenage girls. Her characters confronted loneliness, sibling rivalries, divorce, and tense mother-daughter relationships. Her books, although characterized as pleasant, conventional, and stereotyped, have been extremely popular and recommended by critics for their attention to subjects which have reflected girls' interests. Going on Sixteen and Secret Passage were Spring Book Festival honor books in 1946 and 1947.
In the 1970s Cavanna turned to writing mysteries, which she termed "escape fiction," because she said she felt out of sync with the problems of modern teenagers. Two of her books have been runners-up for the Edgar Allan Poe Award: Spice Island Mystery in 1970 and the Ghost of Ballyhooly in 1972.
She died in France (2001).
Cavanna majored in journalism at the New Jersey College for Women in New Brunswick, from where she received the Bachelor of Letters degree in 1929. She also took art classes in New York and Philadelphia. Cavanna's first job was as a reporter for the Bayonne Times. In 1931 she joined the staff of the Westminster Press in Philadelphia and over the next ten years served as advertising manager and art director. She also wrote and sold material to Methodist and Baptist publishing firms. In 1940 she married Edward Talman Headley, with whom she had a son. They moved to Philadelphia. After her husband's death, she married George Russell Harrison, a university dean of science, as well as nonfiction writer, in 1957. He died in 1979.
Cavanna became a full-time writer in 1941. Since then she has written more than seventy books under the name of Betty Cavanna as well as two pseudonyms: Betsy Allen, under which she wrote the "Connie Blair Mystery" series, and Elizabeth Headley, under which she wrote several books, including the Diane stories. As Betty Cavanna she also published the nonfiction "Around the World Today" about young people living in various countries.
Cavanna's juvenile fiction, about the difficulties of adolescenc, appealed to generations of teenage girls. Her characters confronted loneliness, sibling rivalries, divorce, and tense mother-daughter relationships. Her books, although characterized as pleasant, conventional, and stereotyped, have been extremely popular and recommended by critics for their attention to subjects which have reflected girls' interests. Going on Sixteen and Secret Passage were Spring Book Festival honor books in 1946 and 1947.
In the 1970s Cavanna turned to writing mysteries, which she termed "escape fiction," because she said she felt out of sync with the problems of modern teenagers. Two of her books have been runners-up for the Edgar Allan Poe Award: Spice Island Mystery in 1970 and the Ghost of Ballyhooly in 1972.
She died in France (2001).
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 15, 2026
A realistic story about a half American Japanese girl, raised by her American father and Japanese mother in Tokyo, who comes to the US for the first time to spend the Summer with the grandmother she's never met, who has never really wanted to acknowledge her. The depiction of the attitudes Jenny encounters (everyone sees her as entirely Japanese while she herself doesn't) isn't always easy reading, but is probably accurate for the time the book was published (1964). Cavanna seems to have based this story on the account of a real life girl whom she acknowledges and thanks.
Engaging and interesting, and without the pat ending typical of most vintage YA, I think this might be my favorite of the Betty Cavannas I've read thus far.
Engaging and interesting, and without the pat ending typical of most vintage YA, I think this might be my favorite of the Betty Cavannas I've read thus far.
August 15, 2012
I grabbed this book from my school library when I was about 12 and I guess it must have made a big impression on me because here I am, 34 years later, thinking about it still. As other reviewers have stated, it is the story of a Half- Japanese, half-American girl raised in Japan and the cultural adjustments she must make when she goes to stay with her American grandmother for the first time. It is also a story of a teenager on the threshold of womanhood, and all of the emotional ups and downs that go with that, and a portrait of the social "lay of the land" in the 1960s. With that last point in mind, I'm sure that there were some very un-PC decriptions of gender roles and Japanese stereotypes, but what left its impression on the 12-year-old me was Jenny's story - making new friends, learning new things (waterskiing!), exploring a new land, coming out of her shell, discovering love for the first time. I'm sure this book has been pulled off of school library shelves a long time ago, but it still occupies a place on my list of Goodreads for Adolescents, certainly up there with Beverley Cleary's Jean and Johnny and Fifteen.
September 26, 2022
Jenny Kimura is an interesting book relating to what many people face especially teens when they experience feelings of being an outsider and exploring a new unknown way of life. Aside from being a book many can relate to this book and also go deeper as to racism and negative comments from being someone of a different nationality during the years in The United States and how many people faced this challenge even if they didn't realize they seemed different from the rest. Also the author of the book gives an amazing back story for jenny and her parents who went through many problems as well all because they were an interracial couple that many disagreed with should be together. Most importantly this book made me feel accepted because there are times where I feel like I am an outsider and like jenny am also looked at funny because of how I look but read this book and knowing that it is okay to feel like an outsider not only that but to be looked at differently from others is okay because not everyone will like you but you alone must accept yourself and not let these feelings or comments as to how you look or who you are. The only thing about this book is that it does talk about issues that many are still not comfortable talking about and loses a certain amount of climax during the middle and end of the book. However, I would recommend this book to teens the age 14 and up because you must have a strong mentality to be able to handle certain issues in the book and accept that what happens in the book can also become reality for you or others.
September 23, 2025
Personal copy
Jenny Kimura Smith lives in Tokyo with her mother, who is Japanese, and her father, who is an American who is a banker. Their home is a mix of Japanese and Western furnishings, and Jenny Kimura has grown up speaking both languages. When she turns 16, she is sent to Kansas City to visit her father's mother, Mrs. Smith. It is a tense experience, and talking to a brash, older American woman on the plane makes Jenny worry more. Her grandmother seems nice, and has a large house with a pool. Leona, a Black woman, "lives in" and works for Mrs. Smith, cooking and cleaning. She is often referred to as a Negro, because that was the polite convention when this book was written in 1964. Mrs. Smith is much different from Jenny's other grandmother, who is described as older and more worn, even though she is two years younger. Mrs. Smith swims, golfs, and gardens, and is very involved in various community activities like being a Gray Lady at the hospital, being in garden club, bridge groups, and charity committees. There is a party for young people in the area to meet Jenny, and Alan asks Jenny out to various places like the drive in movie, and even a family wedding. Jenny wears her kimono, since it is a special occasion, and this embarrassed her grandmother, who thinks that Jenny is calling attention to herself. Alan remains attentive even after his mother makes a few comments that make Jenny feel she does not approve of her relationship with Alan. When Mrs. Smith and Jenny go to Cape Cod to visit Jenny's cousin Dick (whose father died in the war, apparently in hand-to-hand combat with a Japanese soldier), Jenny learns a few more things about her family. She also meets George Yamada, who was born in an internment camp, and whose family lost their farm. Her grandmother doesn't seem to like her hanging out with George, and when Alan comes to visit, things are even more tense. When Jenny almost drowns in a boating incident, George comes to her rescue, and her grandmother seems more accepting.
This was fairly progressive for the time; my father, who was seven when Pearl Harbor was bombed, was not overly fond of Japanese people until the end of his life. I can't imagine the prejudice in the early 1960s. Mixed marriages (another term from that time period) were very fraught. Mrs. Smith, even though she has several negative moments, does seem to care for her granddaughter, and is a decent person who is having trouble navigating a social situation she doesn't quite know how to deal with. Jenny understands some of the prejudice, but is certainly angered from time to time. While Cavanna was not Japanese, she did dedicate the book to someone with a Japanese name, so perhaps she drew on some personal experiences.
The inclusion of light romance is not surprising, given Cavanna's other work.
While there are many dated things in this book (Japanese women don't drive, Leona is a problematic character from today's perspective), it is a hugely interesting slice of life from a different perspective, and a valuable look at what life was like in the early 1960s.
I can't even find anything much to be snarky about, and I did like the portrayal of the 62 year old Mrs. Smith as active and engaged!
Jenny Kimura Smith lives in Tokyo with her mother, who is Japanese, and her father, who is an American who is a banker. Their home is a mix of Japanese and Western furnishings, and Jenny Kimura has grown up speaking both languages. When she turns 16, she is sent to Kansas City to visit her father's mother, Mrs. Smith. It is a tense experience, and talking to a brash, older American woman on the plane makes Jenny worry more. Her grandmother seems nice, and has a large house with a pool. Leona, a Black woman, "lives in" and works for Mrs. Smith, cooking and cleaning. She is often referred to as a Negro, because that was the polite convention when this book was written in 1964. Mrs. Smith is much different from Jenny's other grandmother, who is described as older and more worn, even though she is two years younger. Mrs. Smith swims, golfs, and gardens, and is very involved in various community activities like being a Gray Lady at the hospital, being in garden club, bridge groups, and charity committees. There is a party for young people in the area to meet Jenny, and Alan asks Jenny out to various places like the drive in movie, and even a family wedding. Jenny wears her kimono, since it is a special occasion, and this embarrassed her grandmother, who thinks that Jenny is calling attention to herself. Alan remains attentive even after his mother makes a few comments that make Jenny feel she does not approve of her relationship with Alan. When Mrs. Smith and Jenny go to Cape Cod to visit Jenny's cousin Dick (whose father died in the war, apparently in hand-to-hand combat with a Japanese soldier), Jenny learns a few more things about her family. She also meets George Yamada, who was born in an internment camp, and whose family lost their farm. Her grandmother doesn't seem to like her hanging out with George, and when Alan comes to visit, things are even more tense. When Jenny almost drowns in a boating incident, George comes to her rescue, and her grandmother seems more accepting.
This was fairly progressive for the time; my father, who was seven when Pearl Harbor was bombed, was not overly fond of Japanese people until the end of his life. I can't imagine the prejudice in the early 1960s. Mixed marriages (another term from that time period) were very fraught. Mrs. Smith, even though she has several negative moments, does seem to care for her granddaughter, and is a decent person who is having trouble navigating a social situation she doesn't quite know how to deal with. Jenny understands some of the prejudice, but is certainly angered from time to time. While Cavanna was not Japanese, she did dedicate the book to someone with a Japanese name, so perhaps she drew on some personal experiences.
The inclusion of light romance is not surprising, given Cavanna's other work.
While there are many dated things in this book (Japanese women don't drive, Leona is a problematic character from today's perspective), it is a hugely interesting slice of life from a different perspective, and a valuable look at what life was like in the early 1960s.
I can't even find anything much to be snarky about, and I did like the portrayal of the 62 year old Mrs. Smith as active and engaged!
March 1, 2023
“Jenny Kimura” Review
“Jenny Kimura” by Betty Cavanna written in 1964 is a fictional story about Jenny Kimura Smith who is 16 years old and was born and raised in Tokyo Japan. Jenny has two parents, her mother being Japanese and her father being American making her mixed. The plot starts to get slightly interesting shortly after the introductions. We read that Jenny is invited to America by her grandmother to spend time in Kansas City. Jenny is excited to see how different America is compared to Japan and after arriving in America her grandmother greets her with a giant hug and is slightly judgmental about her Japanese appearance. Jenny is taken aback by how open people in America are about affection. After Jenny is introduced to a group of teenagers she notices and takes interest in a boy named Alan. Essentially the book is a fictional story about a teen girl's life in the Americas. Due to Jenny being foreign and having little knowledge of American customs, people tend to be judgemental towards her. Jenny learns and grows as she spends more time in the Americas and finds life very enjoyable there. I would say that the book “Jenny Kimura” is a fun read when interesting things take place but the book is a wholly slice-of-life story it gets dull at times as it’s realistic even though it’s fiction. This is just my opinion on what I consider interesting so it’s fine if we disagree but overall I didn’t really enjoy the book too much. I recommend the book to someone who likes reading a grounded slice-of-life story with fictional characters.
“Jenny Kimura” by Betty Cavanna written in 1964 is a fictional story about Jenny Kimura Smith who is 16 years old and was born and raised in Tokyo Japan. Jenny has two parents, her mother being Japanese and her father being American making her mixed. The plot starts to get slightly interesting shortly after the introductions. We read that Jenny is invited to America by her grandmother to spend time in Kansas City. Jenny is excited to see how different America is compared to Japan and after arriving in America her grandmother greets her with a giant hug and is slightly judgmental about her Japanese appearance. Jenny is taken aback by how open people in America are about affection. After Jenny is introduced to a group of teenagers she notices and takes interest in a boy named Alan. Essentially the book is a fictional story about a teen girl's life in the Americas. Due to Jenny being foreign and having little knowledge of American customs, people tend to be judgemental towards her. Jenny learns and grows as she spends more time in the Americas and finds life very enjoyable there. I would say that the book “Jenny Kimura” is a fun read when interesting things take place but the book is a wholly slice-of-life story it gets dull at times as it’s realistic even though it’s fiction. This is just my opinion on what I consider interesting so it’s fine if we disagree but overall I didn’t really enjoy the book too much. I recommend the book to someone who likes reading a grounded slice-of-life story with fictional characters.
December 16, 2018
Re-read of a childhood favorite (that I've come back to over the years!). This book holds up surprisingly well. Jenny Kimura is the product of the marriage of an American man and a Japanese woman right after WWII (and it's never explained how they met or decided to marry!); neither set of grandparents approve. They raise their bilingual daughter in Tokyo; the novel focuses on her first trip to the US, by invitation of her grandmother. I think that she's less shocked by American culture than I would expect (although Jenny does mention reading Seventeen and lots of American novels), but otherwise the novel is a lovely explanation of what it means to be "not quite" normal in either of her countries. I wish there was a prequel or sequel!
September 15, 2022
A lovely story that takes the teenager in old lady me to Japan and helps me compare the two cultures, all the while teaching me to be accepting, less prideful, and kind to visitors to these United States.
June 11, 2023
So good!
May 9, 2025
Of its time.
November 23, 2022
If you like the timeframe and innocence of Beverly Cleary books, you’ll like Betty Cavanna. This book was written in the 60s and the primary theme is the title character coming to grips with her two ethnicities- Japanese and American. I think the author was probably ground-breaking in her day, but I just enjoy the tiptoe into tough subjects while mostly just describing the wholesome dating lives of upper crust midwestern teenagers.
June 20, 2010
Interesting take about a girl whose mother is Japanese and father is American, who visits her American grandmother in Kansas City for the first time. Brings up a lot of issues about how the Japanese were viewed, postwar, as well as a child from a mixed marriage. Published in 1966, it's horribly dated-- lots of references to gender roles that aren't even considered now-- but I'm glad to know a book like this was published that addresses the difficult questions. The ending was limp, however.
July 30, 2008
Wow, can't believe this book is on here... I read it when I was around 13, back in the 70's! I remember that I loved it.
February 7, 2013
My second favorite Betty cavanna book!
May 28, 2015
I cringed every time the idiotic, condescending Alan opened his mouth.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews