Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Train Like a Ninja by Jon M. Fishman - ADVISABLE


Train Like a Ninja by Jon M. Fishman, 24 pages. NON-FICTION. Lerner, 2020. $X.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Set with a large, handwritten-like font, and featuring numerous photographs, most of which include a caption, this non-fiction book introduces the reader to the history of ninja. The author explains why it might be that mythical stories exist of ninja disappearing or flying, and makes connections between the ancient ninja and modern athletes and soldiers. One of a four-book series, the other titles cover ninja weapons, real-life ninjas, and ninja competitions.

Ninja are very popular characters for many children, so this non-fiction title is bound to provide welcomed reading practice to many enthusiastic young readers. If you can only buy one book in the series, this is the one to get. This title informs young students about ancient ninja without focusing on weaponry, which might be problematic in a school setting, or on popular culture figures and events, which may quickly become outdated. Pair this book with a fictional ninja story to guide compare-and-contrast discussions about these two genres. This title also contains excellent examples of standard non-fiction book features.

P.K. Foster, MLS, elementary school teacher-librarian

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