Review: Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5) by Mary Pope Osborne

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS:

Jack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House!
Have you ever met a real live ninja?
Jack and Annie do when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to ancient Japan, where they find themselves in the cave of a ninja master. Will they learn the secrets of the ninja? Or will the evil samurai warriors get them first?
Visit the Magic Tree House website!
MagicTreeHouse.com

MY TAKE:
I am fascinated by ninjas so I was excited to read this one.

In Night of the Ninjas. M needs Jack and Annie's help, and the answer may lie with the ninjas.

I was right in assuming that M was now going to play a bigger part in Jack and Annie's adventures. The first clue in their quest leads them to ancient Japan wherein they meet ninjas and samurais.

While the ninjas in the book moved and acted, for the most part, like real ninjas, there were a couple of moments in the book that I kinda had to stop and think "Really?", because that was not how I remembered it from the books and documentaries I have seen about ninjas (and samurai, for that matter). One example was the presence of a ninja master. As far as I know, while there are ninja clans and clan leaders, I don't think they're actually called ninja masters, unless by that you mean that they have mastered ninjutsu.

I did like that Jack and Annie used ninja techniques, though. That was nice.

THE GOOD:

1. Jack and Annie use ninja techniques.
2. There's a purpose to their journey other than just wanting to visit the place.
3. There are ninjas AND samurais here.  

THE BAD:

1. There are a few inaccuracies.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes ninjas.
2. Your child liked the first books in the series.
3. Your child likes adventure books. 

RATING:


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