The Competition Begins

January 1, 2018

Gr 3-6-When National Ninja Champion, one of the most popular reality TV shows on television, announces that it is going to have a junior version, it brings together Ty, Kevin, Izzy, J.J., and Mack to Fit Kidz, a kids-only gym owned by Ty's parents. The characters range in ability and drive: from Izzy, whose parkour background gives her a leg up in the initial practices, to Mackenzie, who starts as a blogger intending to report on the others but brings a scientific background that allows her to help them improve. Kevin, who beat cancer and has an overprotective mother, inspires his teammates and mom with his performance. It is Ty, however, who demonstrates the greatest leap forward when he must decide between trying out for the show or for his traveling soccer league. Hapka provides a fun background with the development of the show, including the trials faced in the courses and the nicknames given to the competitors and the coaches. The characters are allowed to have foibles and weaknesses, such as Izzy's fear of heights. VERDICT A fun, fast-paced read that will leave readers wanting to find out if the kids qualify for the next episode.-Betsy Fraser, Calgary Public Library, Canada

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2018
A group of kids trains together for an obstacle-course game show. When popular television show National Ninja Champion (a fictional analog to American Ninja Warrior) announces a spinoff competition for preteens, a group of kids starts training and dreaming big. Ty Santiago is the son of the owners of Fit Kidz gym and a glory-hound athletic superstar. He recruits JJ Johnson, a climber from a family of contractors, to modify the gym's ninja-room equipment (normally reserved for ages 14 and up) for preteen heights. Cancer survivor Kevin Marshall's another NNC-loving gym regular, but he hides his ninja-team involvement from his overprotective mother. Rounding out the team are Izzy Fitzgerald, a snooty but rebellious rich girl from a family of runners, and Mackenzie Clark, a science geek and superfan blogger (with two dads). Although the obstacle runs grow repetitive and occasional lines are clunky, the competition element and quick pace are reader-friendly. Once the team jells, external conflicts take a back seat to narratives about how the characters challenge themselves. The overall moral is the importance of having a supportive team (and being a supportive teammate) in this otherwise individual, niche sport, reiterated in a backmatter interview with an American Ninja Warrior competitor. Ty is implied Latino; Kevin is black; the other kids seem to be white by default.An upbeat and fun series opener capturing the spirit of the source show. (Fiction. 9-12)

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March 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 National Ninja Champion has announced a kids' version! This excites five local kids to form a team together. Ty, a natural athlete, believes the competition is his for the taking. Kevin wants to participate, but ever since he survived cancer, his mom believes he is made of glass. Izzy's parkour skills make her a natural at the balance challenges. J.J. is training just for fun. Lastly, Mack, a blogger, uses her science knowledge to show everyone how to tame the Crazy Cliff, and they convince her to join the team. In this series opener, the kids make it through the preliminary round and compete in the filmed semifinals. While some elements of the plot are a tad repetitive, such as the training montages and following each character through the challenges in their local round and the semifinals, Hapka's book is ultimately a fun and timely read that will appeal to young fans of American Ninja Warrior competitions and might inspire some to search out ninja gyms for a first-hand experience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)