How Do You Live?

A simple story based on a young boy's experiences navigating friendships & life. His uncle writes him letters & notebook pages of sage life advice which help him learn to act on his feelings in a way that respects himself & others.
The story explores collectivism, class, values, ethics, and what it means to be a good friend.
A little preachy at times, but always relatable & mostly down-to-earth, it's surprising this book can still feel fresh and current almost 90 years after it was written.
Think of it in the vein of Rilke's Letters to A Young Poet, with a moralistic intent of something like The Alchemist or The Little Prince but with the classroom & schoolfriends as protagonists.
I'm curious to see how Hayao Miyazaki will adapt it for a feature length animation; whether he will flesh the story out or add to it, or keep it simple. There is no magical or folkloric element to the story so I suspect it will be more in the realist interpersonal style of From Up On Poppy Hill in contrast to films like Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, or Howl's Moving Castle.