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Ages 12 & up / Young Adult Fiction / Tuttle
Win a set of JET BLACK AND THE NINJA WIND by Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani for your book club. Enter to win by emailing the authors (write "Kidsbookclubbing" in the subject line.)
 Dear Reader, When I was little, I loved reading about strong girls like Joan of Arc, Calamity Jane, and Helen Keller. They made me feel powerful, like I could do anything. So when I moved to Japan, I looked for girl power there. I only found stories of dainty girls in kimonos. Where were the female warriors? They were hidden. They were ninja. You might imagine B-Grade Hollywood assassins, but ninja were tribal people who developed secret arts to protect themselves.
I was interested in that history; Shogo loved Native American culture. We connected Japanese tribal lore with the story of some special
modern warriors--the Navajo Code Talkers.  Through this multicultural adventure, we hope you'll learn more about these American heroes while discovering the real face of the ninja--and meeting Jet Black. She's the last living female ninja in the world. She's also the last one to know it. With a spin-kicking Sayonara (for now), Leza (& Shogo) Book reviews: "A page-turner rich in striking ideas, unexpected action and fascinating cultural and language secrets! This pacey, intelligent yarn brings together feisty young modern characters, epic derring-do and an ancient mystery. Few debut novels exude such powerful and unique magic and romance! Let the wind blow!"
-Simon Higgins, author of Moonshadow: Rise of the Ninja
"A visual experience akin to watching an epic thriller film. Five stars!"
-Liza Dalby, author of Geisha
"In this meticulously researched adventure...Oketani and Lowitz evoke the atmosphere and richness of Japanese culture and mythology, delving into the lore of the ninja...
The physical descriptions are lush, the action sequences almost cinematic, and the details are steeped in authenticity."
-Publishers Weekly
Discussion questions: 1. Who were the ninja, and why was their history so secret?
2. Who were the Navajo Code Talkers, and why were their actions kept hidden for so long?
3. Why did the Native Americans (The Navajo) decide to help the descendants of the Native Japanese (The Emishi) in this book?
4. The idea of a "homeland" is central to each character's quest in Jet Black. Can you explain why it is important to at least three of the different characters?
5. Jet's grandfather Masakichi teaches her about karma. What is karma? Do you believe it exists?
6. BONUS QUESTION: What is "the ninja wind" and how does Jet become it? Is it possible to "become" an element--such as fire, wind, earth, water? Watch the exciting book trailer created by Chris Mauch (who storyboarded the upcoming film of Divergent!) and learn more at the authors' website. AUTHOR CALL-IN INFORMATION: Leza and Shogo are happy to email or Skype with your club. Email the authors to submit your request.
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