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White Crane: Samurai Kids Book 1 (Sandy Fussell, Walker Books, $14.95 pb, ISBN 9781921150203 March) ***

White Crane is the first book in a new series, ‘Samurai Kids’, by Sandy Fussell. In it, we are introduced to a unique school (ryu) for young samurai. The Cockroach Ryu, headed by Sensei Ki-Yaga, consists of students the other schools would not take: a blind boy, a boy who refuses to fight, an albino girl, and a boy with one arm. Our narrator, Niya, has only one leg. Ki-Yaga trains his students in all of the arts of the samurai—swordfighting and archery, swimming and horseriding, but also calligraphy, poetry and even flower-arrangement. The annual Samurai Games are approaching, where all of the ryu meet to compete for a trophy and the honour of being the best. Cockroach Ryu has usually come dead last. Will this year be any different? This novel has a strong message of cooperation and diversity. Each of the students has strengths as well as weaknesses, and under the guidance of their teacher they learn to work together. Aspects of Japanese culture are shown throughout the story and illustrations by Rhian Nest James capture the spirit of traditional ink paintings. A good read for upper primary students looking for action, adventure and a taste of Japan.

Heath Graham is a teacher and a bookseller at A&R Doncaster in Melbourne

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker