CompleteMartialArts.com - Blue Fingers: A Ninja's Tale
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List Price: $15.00
Our Price: $10.20
Your Save: $ 4.80 ( 32% )
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Manufacturer: Clarion Books
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780618381395
ISBN: 0618381392
Label: Clarion Books
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2004-03-22
Publisher: Clarion Books
Reading Level: Young Adult
Studio: Clarion Books
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Editorial Reviews:
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The power and prowess of ninja never seem to lose their appeal to young readers, especially boys. Blue Fingers, a suspenseful, action-packed coming-of-age story set in feudal Japan, offers an up-close look at this noble, fierce way of life. Through an odd twist of fate, a stubborn twelve-year-old boy named Koji is kidnapped by a secret ninja clan and taken to its hidden camp high in the mountains. He wants desperately to return home, but that is forbidden. He must forget his old life and become a ninja-or die. In this carefully researched and well-crafted novel, Koji must learn to survive in the mysterious and dangerous world of the ninja and fulfill a destiny far different from any he could have imagined. Afterword.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Comment: Blue Fingers is a tale of fate that happens so unexpectedly. It is a cleverley written tale with a new surprise everytime you turn the page. this breathtaking story is about a young boy who becomes a ninja. It is packed with action, suspense, and everything a reader looks for in a good book.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: A kid's review
Comment: 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!
Customer Rating:
Summary: mystical......... Amazing!
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Blue Fingers
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Adventure that Sets the Bar High
Comment: 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.
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