Sandy Fussell writes Samurai Kids: White Crane. Rhian Nest James illustrates the young samurai kids’ adventures. The coming of age book has 237 pages. Candlewick Press publishes the work of fiction.

The samurai kids of the Cockroach Ryu(school) have physical disabilities. However, this does not deter the young students. Sensi Ki-Yaga is the wise instructor who guides the five future samurai. He drives his students as hard as he would teach whole bodied kids. In his lessons, students learn mental and spiritual skills as well as physical ones.

Fourteen-year-old, Niya Moto, narrates Samurai Kids: White Crane. He is a one-legged trainee of Sensi Ki-Yaga. Niya is the only one foot samurai student in feudal Japan. His spirit totem is the white crane which he chooses because of the bird’s ability to stand gracefully on one leg.

Niya Moto relates the hard work to needed to prepare for his and his friends chosen profession. However, they play hard and enjoy tasty food, too. Moto describes the tween book’s events with great humor. The samurai kids’ adventures are fun to follow. Readers cheer and feel pride with the trainees’ decisions and achievements. Samurai Kids: White Crane is great book for the tween reader(ages 9-12).

This book review is based on the paperback edition supplied by Candlewick Press. Samurai Kids: White Crane is available in hardback, paperback and e-book formats. Sandy Fussell follows the samurai kids' adventures in her second novel, Samurai Kids: Owl Ninja and third, Shaolin Tiger.

Samurai Kids Book #1, White Crane by Sandy Fussell


Samurai Kids Book #2, Owl Ninja by Sandy Fussell


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Note: Samurai Kids, White Crane by Sandy Fussell was received from Candlewick Press. White Crane Book #1 is available in hardback, paperback, ebook and audio DVD.