Customer Reviews

Blue Fingers: A Ninja's Tale

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read Blue Fingers with my 11 year old son and we both loved it. He zeroed in on action scenes and the details about how real life 15th century ninjas lived and trained (rather than how the modern media depicts them). I enjoyed the ninja philosophy, depth of relationships and rich atmosphere.

I also appreciated the balancing act the author does in portraying the ninja-warrior society without turning to unnecessary violence. Danger is always there, lurking... But not so that young readers will be too scared to read on.

One emphasis is on the ninjas' honor code. Also, Koji's personal experience as a farm boy training to become a ninja. My son was riveted to the book as Koji goes on missions to the nearby samurai's castle, using ninja tricks and techniques to help rid the valley of guns. (The book is set in 1545, 2 years after guns were first imported into Japan.) An all around good read for kids who love action but want more depth--and their parents will enjoy the unusual world depicted, too! Five stars!

What I didn't know about ninjas would fill a book, and this is the one to read. The author manages to cover the plight of the peasants in feudal Japan, the roles of samurai and ninja in society, religious beliefs, superstitions about twins and demons, customs regarding death, diet, poisons, weapons, and more, without sounding didactic. The story weaves all of these elements naturally into a gripping mystery and drama. The book reads well out loud, too.

Blue Fingers is a coming of age story in an exotic historical setting. The young hero is clumsy, lazy, and unhappy with himself. Under the discipline of ninjutsu he becomes brave, resourceful, compassionate, and self-assured yet mindful of his weaknesses.

What an exciting look into the ancient world of a Samurai lord-ruled Japan! When peasants toiled under the hot sun all day just to hand over their rice to their fattened lords. This tale is about a boy who is for the most part normal except he is an identical twin that has been chosen to apprentice with a local dye maker for kimonos. As the tale unfolds itself, you will find yourself on the edge of your seat so to speak as you eagerly flip the pages to find out more about our young protagonist and the delightful world about him. The young man is beset with jealousy and family troubles that cause the brash young man to run away from home and into a legendary way of life. The book identifies with the boy's difficulty as a captive in a group of tribal ninjas and his later eagerness to be re-united with his family. You will feel young again as you feel cast in the boys sandals.
The book will have you turning each delicious page from the intriguing cover art to the last line in a few short days. This wonderful book is a must have for anyone interested in the mysterious ways of the ninja or ancient Japan. The book is suitable for all ages. This book has a very little violence factor so I would recommend it for any age group. Prepare for some great story-telling, well written characters you can love and hate, and a feeling of being there that is so important in a book read for leisure. Let's see more from this author!

In feudal Japan twins are considered bad luck, something Koji would agree with whole-heartedly. His twin seems to always be just a little bit better, while Koji feels he can't seem to do anything right. When his twin saves a rich merchant's life, Koji is surprised when his parents choose him to become the apprentice. After failing with the merchant, Koji runs away only to be captured by Ninjas, or, as they call themselves, blades of grass. The book begins somewhat slowly and focuses heavily on the culture of Ninjas, so it will not appeal to readers who wish for constant action. It is however very strong historical fiction and will leave the reader knowing far more about the fascinating world of Ninjas.

this book was a very inspiring tale. it starts out a little slow. but the detail regarding the training they endured and the level of authority is quite authentic. as for the whole ki bearer deal, thats not 100% true, it is true that ninjas would produce a sort of bond with themselfs with there surroundings, but ninjas were actually trained to use a wide variety of weapons. this book reveals many truths regarding ninjitsu, but thankfully, it did not give to much away. the most mezmorizing part of ninjitsu is its history of secrets. and finally as for the 4 laws. be strong, dare, know, be silent, i suggest people actually apply this to there daily lives. like all martial arts, nijitsu is a way of life.

Fear. That was all Koji could feel as he searched endlessly, for a destination, he did not know. Blue Fingers: A Ninja's Tale, by Cheryl Whitesel, is a book of adventure and ninjas. It begins with Taro, Koji's twin brother, returns from the market in a terrible storm. As he is drying off, a mysterious man greets Taro and Koji's parents. He had not yet seen either of them, when he offered Taro a job as an apprentice, because he had saved the stranger's life, just a few minutes before. For an unknown reason, Koji was told to go in Taro's place. He left with the man, who was a dye maker, to his house. After a while, the man grew tired of Koji's homesickness and said he would be going home. Not wanting to disappoint hi parents, Koji ran off without the dye maker. He went to his real house and crawled under it, to hear his parents and the dye maker talk. After hearing the discussion and meeting with Taro, Koji ran off into the bamboo grove, where the so called Tenju, or evil monsters dwell. Later that night, he was captured by what he thought was a Tenju. After walking for what seemed forever, Koji met with Dark Fire, the number one Chonin of the ninjas. He discovered that he was captured by Spider, Dark Fire's grandson. To keep himself alive, Koji proved he was worthy of being a ninja, by doing reconnaissance on Lord Udo's castle.
What I liked about this book, was the amount of details it contained. Nothing in this book is described without as much detail as possible. When on a mission the author thoroughly described everything, from the contents of the remedy used to keep the frogs behaving normally, to Koji's feelings in what he experienced while under water. I thought this added to the quality of the story tremendously.
What I did not like was that throughout the story there was a devoid of action. The author's desire to keep to the way of the ninja severely restricted the fighting in the book. There was plenty of sparring and practice fighting among ninjas, but still wasn't the same as the real deal.
I was highly fascinated with this book, mostly because of the setting. I have always been interested in the Japanese culture, and learning a little about ninjas, definitely kept my interest. Whether or not it is real, I do not know. It still helps give you an ideal of life in Japan in past times.
I would not recommend this book to people who do not like to read long books. Although if you are willing to read it, you will not be disappointed. I would recommend this book to anyone who is highly interested in Japan and it's culture. Whether or not you read it, is not up to me to decide, but you will missing out on a very entertaining book if you don't.
Taylor D.

Blue Fingers: a Ninja's Tale is a deep, action-packed novel that guides the reader through the mysticism of the ninja. I recommend this book to anyone, especially those interested in the topic. The main character is easily related to, and the characters feel realistic. Also, the book does not use action to fill gaps in the story.
The main character in this book is amazingly portrayed. He is a simple farm boy named Kojiro. Gradually, you can witness his mind being shaped by the environment around him. Without his family, he lives by his own judgment. At first, he is reluctant to join the ninjas because of the viewing of samurai as heroes and ninjas as banished wanderers. After time passes, he realizes that they are real people too, and were just outcasts to society. Koji becomes compassionate.
While I am on the subject of characters, I have to say that the cast of characters feel very realistic. It is almost as if they really existed. Spider, the first ninja that Koji encounters and one of the only ones his age, starts as a hardened fighter. After Koji joins them, Spider still stays away and resists friendship. Koji had to prove himself. Spider is both a skeptic and a forgiver. That makes him, along with many other characters, feel real.
My final selling point is the fact that the story does not utilize action as a filler for plot voids. The transition between story and action is seamless. Koji's first mission had a purpose, and was necessary. Koji's mission changed the way everyone acted. The discovery of the musket in the hands of samurai was shocking. Fro then, the story drifted back to drama and conversation. The action is justified and the story avoids choppiness.
Blue Fingers: a Ninja's Tale is an exciting book and is definitely a decent read for anyone with eyes and half a brain.

This is a great book for children of all ages. It has action suspense and everything a good book needs. First of all you meet Koji and you learn that he is not as good at things as his brother, which in turn he loses some respect from his parents. All through the book Koji is met with challenges that he overcomes, which may help some in their real life. The action starts rather early in the book and continuers right in to the end. I really liked how they explained life around camp, I don't know much about ninjas but this stuff seems really believable. The author really gets detailed about the training and missions Koji faces. The only thing about this book that made me a little disappointed is how quickly it ended I felt the author could of added more or something. As I said before I recommend this book to anyone.
S. Bricker

Bluefingers a Ninja's Tale is a good book for all kids 8-11. It's reasonably short for young readers, but it's still long enough to get into. The beginning of the book is; 12-year-old Koji lives a life of poverty even for ancient Japan. His family works hard to make rice, but it is always taken away as tax by cruel Lord Odu. Some years they don't even have enough food to feed themselves over the winter, but Odu is relentless. Worst of all, Koji is a twin, which were considered extremely unlucky in Japan. Koji's twin brother Taro, saves the Lord's head dyemaker's life, and in return the dyemaker offers Taro a job as his apprentice. But Koji's parents give Koji the job. After failing an honorable spot with the dyemaker Koji is disgraced. He runs into a close by mountain, and is captured by a secret ninja clan. What will happen to Koji in this new found place? I read this book and loved it. But it's fictional in another country during the past, so it may be different from a lot of peoples taste, if you like the Characteristics that I just named than this is a book for you!

Blue fingers was truely an adventurous book. At times it mde me thrilled to be reading it. The plot and story line were all fantastic so everything fell in place. The book did seem confusing at first but I understood it when the pieces of the puzzle started coming together.
The book is basically about how a young boy or an identical twin is sent off to a new home disguising himself as his twin. The boy's name is Koji. Koji didn't seem to fit into his new home. He always got is trouble and made his masters mother furious. Koji knew he wasn't wanted so he ran away. The night he ran away he was captured by ninja's and kept a captive. And then........
It is very addicting once your in the "zone". I really recommend this book to all ages and most levels of reading! After the first 3 pages you'll discover the erge to keep reading on and on. This book is rated a 5 for a reason of being. The book has a certain feature that I don't know. Anyhow, This book is a must read! Hurry on and read!!!!!
sincerely, L.H.