Kakashi's Story

Gr 7 Up—This light novel tells the story of Kakashi, one of the more popular and mysterious characters in the "Naruto" universe. Kakashi suspects sabotage on the first voyage of a new airship and sneaks on board. He soon discovers that enemy forces are taking over the ship, holding passengers hostage, and threatening to kill them unless their demands are met. Kakashi sneaks around for a while and then uses his superior fighting skills to fight the terrorists. But since this is based on a ninja-themed manga, these battles are fought with a mixture of magic and martial arts. Characters fight one another physically but also use a variety of other powers like ice and electricity to battle their enemies. Being familiar with the "Naruto" manga or anime before reading this book is essential, because otherwise teens will not understand the significance of different characters or plot points or even who the good guys and bad guys are. Also, a drawback of the light novel format means that the action and humor are not conveyed as powerfully as they would be in a manga, which is how most fans know these characters.