Ninja 2: Death Touch (Ninja Trilogy) by Chris Bradford and Sonia Leong
| Ninja 2: Death Touch (Ninja Trilogy) by Chris Bradford and Sonia Leong | |
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| Category: Dyslexia Friendly | |
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Reviewer: Margaret Young
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| Summary: We loved Ninja First Mission but if anything Ninja Death Touch is even better. An action packed story of a young Ninja, but with far more depth than one would expect, and dyslexia friendly as well. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 68 | Date: August 2013 |
| Publisher: Barrington Stoke | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1781122105 | |
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We have always been very highly impressed by Barrington Stoke books, but we have always had one major complaint as well. The format of these books necessitates short stories, but once a child is truly hooked on a beloved character, it seems a shame to let that go. I have often wished for, and even written asking for companies like Barrington Stoke to offer us series of books, so that children can return to favourite characters over and over again, and to allow for longer more detailed storylines. Finally the publishers have listened, and Barrington Stoke has given us a truly exceptional trilogy (although I sincerely hope they will have rethink and extend this series further). Nothing improves a child's reading quite like falling in love with and reading a whole series of books. My son gets so much more involved in the books which he has several volumes of, counting the days until new editions are released, but up until now, nothing like this existed for children who need a little extra help with literacy.
Ninja Death Touch is the second book in this series. It was however, the first book we read. We had no problem reading this as a stand alone book, but the minute we had finished I was on Amazon to buy the first book, and if the third book had been available I would have bought that one as well. In fact if the author had had twenty books in this series, I'd have tried to buy them all. This book features the two main characters of the first story, Tata and Cho, as well as Tata's rival Renzo and sworn enemy Lord Oda. The book begins with the young Ninja put to what appears to be senseless tasks at the whims of their masters. None are too happy about it, and tensions erupt between the young Ninja. All too soon the reason for these tasks becomes apparent as Lord Oda leads an attack meant to destroy the entire clan.
This book is far more bloody than the first. This includes pitched battles and death. But it still has a deeply philosophical level as well, and once again has elements of the Zen Koans, or parables used to teach students to find enlightenment. In this book the students must learn to look at the larger picture and place faith in their elders, but the biggest lesson of all involves putting aside petty rivalries and making an enemy into a friend. This book has quite a lot to teach, but it is done so in such a way that the children think of this only as entertainment, and excellent entertainment at that. Even without having read the first book, the characters seemed well developed and it was very easy to feel connected to them. The illustrations are excellent as well and really help children to visualise the story.
Ninja Death Touch is part of Barrington Stoke's line of books written specifically for children with dyslexia. These books follow all of the guidelines of the British Dyslexia Association for dyslexia-friendly text. Working with a team of experts in the field, Barrington Stoke have developed their own font which is especially designed to make reading as easy as possible for children with dyslexia. They also print all of their books on a thick, off white, non-glare paper to minimise distractions which can make reading more difficult. The print is large and double spaced, with short chapters and short stories created to build confidence. The stories are commissioned by Barrington Stoke, usually from very well known authors, and are written to appeal to older children, with a high interest level but a low reading level.
Barrington Stoke also has some of the best stories we have come across for older children. These are books you just cannot put down. My own child does not suffer from dyslexia, but he has commented on how much easier it is to read the books with this style of print. The double spacing and frequent breaks mean he does not lose his place in the book, and makes reading a far more enjoyable experience. These books can literally be life changing for a child who is struggling to learn to read, but they make reading easier for all young children, whether they have disabilities or not.
Barrington Stoke has listed this as a reading age of 8 and an interest age of 8-12. I am OK with the reading age, but my five year old son would argue the interest age quite a bit, as he loved this almost as much as his eight year old brother did. I'd have to argue the upper age limit as well as I am just as impatient for the third book in this series to come out as the children are. I do feel a bit of the deeper meanings may be lost on a child under age eight, but it is still a magnificent story - with or without the moral element.
If this book appeals then you might also enjoy:
Football Crazy by Tony Bradman and Michael Broad
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You can read more book reviews or buy Ninja 2: Death Touch (Ninja Trilogy) by Chris Bradford and Sonia Leong at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Ninja 2: Death Touch (Ninja Trilogy) by Chris Bradford and Sonia Leong at Amazon.com.
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