Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword - Softcover

Bradford, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1423129377 ISBN 13: 9781423129370

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH, 2011

Synopsis

After a vicious ninja attack left him orphaned and stranded in Japan, Jack Fletcher managed to complete his first year of samurai school. Still, his troubles are far from over. The prejudice of his Japanese classmates has gained him dangerous enemies within his school, and Dragon Eye – the ninja who killed his father – is still after him. Jack’s only hope of defeating them lies in surviving the Circle of Three: an ancient ritual that tests a samurai’s courage, skill, and spirit to the limit.

For most, gaining entry into the Circle means honor and glory, but for Jack it’s a matter of life or death. The winner will be trained in the Two Heavens—the formidable sword technique of the great samurai, Masamoto. Learning this secret is the only hope Jack has of protecting his father’s rutter -- the invaluable navigation guide of the world’s uncharted oceans -- from Dragon Eye.

Forced into a deadly battle, Jack’s going to have to master the Way of the Sword. And his time is running out.

About this title

About the Author

Chris Bradford has trained in karate, kickboxing and samurai swordsmanship. He earned his black belt in Zen Kyo Shin Taijutsu, the secret fighting art of the ninja. Before writing the Young Samurai series, he was a professional musician and songwriter and has performed for HRH Queen Elizabeth II. You can learn more about Chris Bradford and his books at www.youngsamurai.com.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9 Bradford raises the stakes for his blond samurai student in this second installment in the series. Previously shipwrecked after his father was murdered by the ninja leader Dragon Eye, Jack is continuing his training as a samurai at his foster father's school for young warriors. Dedicated to keeping his father's navigational log from Dragon Eye, who has tried to steal it before, Jack hides the book at the castle of the daimyo, where he feels it will be safer. In the meantime, he must train to participate in the Circle of Three, a trial that would allow him to learn a double-sword-fighting technique, one he feels he needs to defend himself against the ninja's treachery. To add to his worries, his friend Akiko is acting strangely, disappearing in the night, and Jack suspects she may be training as a ninja. Bradford combines the structure of a British school story with the flavor of 17th-century Japan, and his descriptions of both swordplay and hand-to-hand martial arts reveal his extensive knowledge of the subject. Young martial artists will be eager to try out sticky-hands drills in their own dojos. Though the secondary cast is often too large to keep track of and only a few of the characters are fully developed, the ongoing struggle between honorable samurai and dastardly ninja will draw both reluctant readers and enthusiasts of Japanese history. Alana Joli Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT
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Edition details

• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1423129377
• ISBN 13: 9781423129370
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448