The Black Lotus

The Black Lotus

Kieran Fanning,

The Black Lotus

(Samurai Wars 1)

Chicken House, 2015

ISBN 9781909489929

9-11 Shortlist 2016

 

On this shortlist:

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out of 5
 

 

 

Who Wrote It?

By day, Kieran Fanning is a primary school teacher who enjoys helping his pupils to write, illustrate and publish their own books.  By night, he writes his own stories, and has published a series of interactive puzzle books for children, as well as school textbooks.  He has an MA in Children’s Literature and lives with his wife and two children in County Meath, Ireland. The Black Lotus is his first novel.

What's It About?

Ghost can turn invisible, Cormac can run up walls and Kate can talk to animals - all abilities which make them perfect recruits for the Black Lotus, a training school for ninjas. But when the Moon Sword - a source of unimaginable power - is stolen by samurai, the three are forced to put their new skills to the test in sixteenth-century Japan ...

Fact File

The Black Lotus is the first book in The Samurai Wars series

Kieran grew up on a farm but wouldn't know a hogget if one hit him in the face

He once won a calf in a raffle

He can't spell squirrell

To find out more about Kieran visit his website http://www.kieranfanning.com/ or follow him on Twitter: @KieranJFanning

Your Reviews

Jodie from Lawns Park Primary School :

Really funny book. I loved it. Only thing I can say is it was a bit boring at the start. Please do more books like it!

Jodie gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Martha from Calverley C of E:

I didn't like this book because it was very boring and hard to follow. Towards the end I didn't feel like I was reading something I enjoyed. I would not recommend this book to others.it was exiting in some parts but not others. I thought it was really dull.

Martha gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Ritika from Calverly c of e primary:

I think this book is brilliant Kieran fanning has done a great job my favourite character is Kate because she is brave I would definitely recommend this book📖📖📖📚📚📚🏫👍 once again it's a great book.

Ritika gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Caitlin from meadowfield primary school:

I really liked this book because it's quite tense and always makes me want to read more. I think it was great how each character had a special power. I also liked how there is a special sword that that can make you time travel anywhere at anytime which gives it a special touch.

Caitlin gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Oliver from Rawdon St.Peters:

I liked this book because it went back in time to the 1600s and how nobody knew what cars and phones were. I rate this book 3.5 because the choice of language it used but I found it quite confusing nearer the end and what powers people had.

Oliver gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Grace from HOLLYBUSH:

I liked it how ghost could turn invisible.

I only gave it 3 because I don't really like fighting.

Grace gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Nour from Ebor Gardens Primary Academy :

At first I thought this book would be really boring, but once I started reading it I didn't want to let go of it. I finished the it very fast. The book was to do with adventure and it was also a bit sad but I managed it. THE BEST PART WAS.... EVERY PART!! All in all I strongly believe that most children will really enjoy this book if they read it. :):))

Nour gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Tran from Shakespeare Primary School:

I really love this book it's amazing I like how the author made up the story as orphans and foster kids who aren't really important can change the whole world and I'm also Asian as well I love this book there isn't that much Asian books so I really love his choice I find this book vedry unique I really recommend this to others but not girly people like my friend I'm not a tomboy or a girly girl I'm an ordinary person this book is very inspiring a not very important person can do so much I never thought that myself.

Tran gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Daniel from St Urban Catholic primary:

Yet again another amazing book with a good story and very awesome characters like ghost i would recommend this to anyone who loves a good story.

Daniel gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Ella from Crossley Street Primary School :

It was a good book because I liked the plot and description of the ninja school. Kids into adventure over 9 years would love this book.

Ella gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Liam from Allerton Bywater Primary:

THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME!! My favourite part was ... ALL OF IT!!

IT WAS THE BEST BOOK OUT OF ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!!!

Liam gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Harry from Allerton Bywater Primary School:

A surprising, not-what-you-expected action book, full of clichés such as a magic sword. I like the changing of the point of view, which is also in Gorilla Dawn. It had the main parts of a perfect ninja book: a beginning, a middle and a twist.

Harry gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

izzy from Alerton ce primary:

this book was a bit boring at the start but then in the middle it was full of action i loved it . Apart from all the japanese words in it that i couldnt understand

izzy gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Callum from Raynville primary:

This book was the best :)it's jam packed full of excitement.It's a mixture of time travel,samurai and amazement.

Callum gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Anna from Greenfield primary school:

I enjoyed this book and I think it was exciting.I found it mysterious in some points and it was sad in places but I found some parts happy. I think it is a good book and would recommend it.

Anna gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Sam from Kippax green field primary school:

This book had a lot of cool things like the beginning is fast just a little to fast for me but it's really intriguing but if you don't like drama or action you probably won't like this book over all it's a really good book

Sam gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jack from Kappas greenfileds:

I rally enjoyed this book it's rally exiting because you wouldn't expect black lotus to be as good as it is.

Jack gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Holly from Beeston Primary School:

This book was one of my top two favourites in the shortlists. My favourite character was Ghost because I love his super power and he is so funny when he mixes up his phrases. I would recommend this book to people who love action and fighting.

Holly gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Elijah from Shire oak:

I enjoyed this book at parts but at other bits it wasn't my style.i think people who like action and drama would like this book.

Elijah gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Amy from lawns park primary school:

this book in my opinion was not my kind of book it didn't really grab my attention at all

Amy gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Asha from Calverley CofE primary school:

In my opinion I did not particularly like this book. Most of my friends that are girls did not enjoy it to. I think this is mostly suited for boys but was still good. The book involved a lot of samurai and fighting which is not quite my type but would recommend it to anyone who enjoys that type of book.dż

Asha gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Emily from Calverley c of e primary school:

I really loved this book but at first I thought I wouldn't because my friends that are girls didn't enjoy it that much how ever I thought the adventure and tension was fabulous. It was a really good idea to go back in time. I would say give it a go even if it doesn't appeal to you,you may be surprised!

Emily gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Charlotte from Calverley C of E school :

I didn't like this book. I don't really like action and fast paced books and the Black Lotus was that. I feel like it was aimed mostly at boys. I didn't like how it was all about samurai and powers. I usually don't read things like that because they don't really interest me. However, if you are interested in these types of books I would recommend it.

Charlotte gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Charlotte from Allerton C of E primary school:

I thought that black lotus was a better book for boys but some girls might like it as well I thought that it was an adventure filled book and a little bit confusing at some points but over all definitely a better book for boys.

Charlotte gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Ollie from Pool in Wharfedale:

The story is about these kids called Cormac, kate and Ghost, and they are in karate school called the black lotus. They try to stop the evil samurai from destroying New York.

I liked the book because parts of it were interesting and funny. However, what I did not like about it was that there wasn't much action going on.

I am not sure that I would recommend it, as it took me a long time to finish it, because it did not interest me enough.

I think the book should be age 9-11 because it seems like the right age.

I would rate the book 3 stars

Ollie gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

James from White Laithe Primary:

This book is awesome! It's about 3 kids who have to fight through Japan and modern day New York with their trainer Makoto. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fast paced action and thoughtful storyline. rate 5*

James gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

kieran from ST Francis primary:

AMAZING!!!! I loved this book I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 9 because it has lots of suspence and action it was amazing.

kieran gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Ellie-May from St. Francis Catholic Primary School:

This book is absolutely amazing!!It is definitely my favourite and I am going to vote for it. If you haven't read this , READ IT!and vote!

This book summed up in three words, TIMETRAVEL ,DANGEROUS, ADVENTURE.

Ellie-May gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Theo from Shire oak:

I like this book a lot because it is a cross between modern day new york and 16th century Japan it has an absolutely great adventure if you like stealthy ninjas then you will love this book!

Theo gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Lucas from Westgate Primary School:

It was a good book! I thought the ending was brilliant because it was full of action and very fun. I didn't find it a challenging read though, but it had a very good storyline and interesting characters. My favourite character was Cormac, a brave, courageous teenager who can run extremely fast. Overall, it was a very good book and well done Kieran Fanning!

Lucas gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Joseph from St. Urban's :

This book was very intriguing and it made me want to read chapter after chapter. However, at the end i did not understand it and i got confused.

Over all i thought this was a great book about the samurai wars and i recommend this book to people who enjoy adventures and ninjas

Joseph gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Sean from St Urbans:

This was a very exciting book and was simple to understand. Near the end I found it quite confusing but overall this was an exciting book.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy books about ninjas, samurai and adventures.

Sean gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Hamza from Harehills Primary School:

Every time I thought I was going to stop reading it was just to addictive to stop carrying on! I felt like I wanted to be part of that setting and experience the book .

Hamza gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Sophie from St'Urbans:

I really liked this book,it was full of adventure and there wasnt a boring part.I didn't think i would like this book because it didn't look like a book that i would enjoy reading but i did really like it!It was about three children who had to train to become ninjas in the black lotus,so one day they could defeat the Empire an evil army lead by Lord Goda and his wife Kiko,to destroy the world.My favourite character was Ghost because he was funny and brave,but my favourite power i would want was Cormacs power-speed.I would recommend this book to girls and boys and people who like action and adventure books.IT ended in a cliff hanger which made you want to read the next book-if there is another.I rate this book five out of five because it was a really good book!I would not recommend this book to people under 9 because it would be hard for them to understand it.I am going to read Gorilla Dawn next.

Sophie gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Caoimhe from St. Urban's :

I loved this book! It was full of adventure from start to end. It was all about 3 children from different areas that got sent to a ninja training school called black lotus. They went on one huge adventure to try and protect the moon sword because if it was in the wrong hands- not mentioning any names- there could be serious consequences. My favourite character was ghost because he was very funny and had amazing skills. This book was jam packed with betrayal, action and a very evil couple named Lord Goda and Kiko! The ending wasn't as good as I would have expected it too be but the rest of the book makes up for the disappointing ending! I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends or any one who likes action stories! I rate this book five out of five! Well done Kieran Fanning!

Caoimhe gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Helena from Green Lane Primary Academy :

This book was about three children (Ghost,Cormac and kate) who where recruited for the Black Lotus and vowed that they would protect the moon sword until they die. If all of the three swords are in the wrong hands the whole world could be in danger.

I recommend this book to some one who likes ninjas and samarias I will defiantly be looking out for more books by this author.

Helena gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Niall from Sacred Heart:

Brilliant book I loved it I thought it was absolutely amazing I could read it all day. The best bit is at the end .....

Niall gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Erin from Westgate Primary School:

I give this book a five out of five because it was just so descriptive and I could picture what it looks like all the way through the book,I also liked it because it was just so action packed.

It all starts when three young teenagers called Kate,Cormack and Ghost are recruited by the black lotus,a ninja school because here is something different about them.

I think it is aimed at years 10-12.

Erin gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Sarah from Green Lane Primary Academy:

The Black Lotus is a book about three junior, homeless and poor recruits of the Black Lotus. They all have special abilities: Ghost can turn invisible, Kate can speak to animals and Cormac can run up walls. They are all recruited to stop Lord Goda and his wife Kiko from destroying the world.My favorite character was Kate because she was the most determined and that nothing will happen if they stick together as a team.

I recommend this book to children who especially like ninjas or to the people who wants to study the life and cultures of the Japanese.

Sarah gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Morgan from Green Lane Primary Academy:

I have rated this book 5 out of 5 because it was a very enjoyable book to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thrill and is interested in ninjas. This book is about three teenagers who are all homeless/poor and have special powers. They are recruited to join a ninja school to learn special skills to break down the empires army and to get back the three swords of power. The person who suggested this book for me to read next told me it was very exciting and thrilling. I loved it.

Morgan gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Hannah from Crossley street:

I loved this book it was full of adventure a real page turner. My favourite character has to be Kate,the blond street living girl and her pet mouse.I couldnt stop reading it! It has a great story line. I like how each person has a different power like:reading minds, invisibility and communication with animals.

Hannah gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Rayaan from Adel Primary School:

I REALLY loved this book it was awesome. It has lots of action and brilliant vocabulary. It has lots of adventure and I would like to thank Kieran Fanning. I can't wait to read the next book.

Rayaan gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Alexander from Adel Primary School:

I really enjoyed this book I loved the ninja theme within the story. Thank you Kieran Fanning for making this book because I couldn't of lived without it! I can't wait to read the next Samurai Wars (if you make one!) Thanks alot!

Alexander gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Georgina from St Nicholas catholic primary school :

My favourite part was when ghost turned invisible

Georgina gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Megan from ST.Margaret's :

I thought it was the best book in the Leeds book awards and I thought the fight for the moon sword at the end of the book was amazing!Also my favourite character is Cormac by far because he is the one that solves mysteries and he has a power and also has lot of courage.Even though he sometimes gets beaten he bounces back ready for another round.

Megan gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Max from st margarets:

I absolutely loved this book I loved the theme, the charachters, the settings, the baddy, EVERYTHING!I would recommend this book to people like me, who like adventure, fighting and ninjas.This book is one of the best books I have ever read.

Max gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Ella from ST.Margerets:

I thought this book was epic and I gave it five out of five because it is one of the best books I have ever read!I enjoyed it because there was not just one mystery in it they continued until finally they found and took back what they were looking for.If you are looking for an awesome and adventurous book then Black Loutus is deffinately the book for you.

Ella gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Maizie from Beeston Primary School :

I really enjoyed this book.My favourite character was Kate because I'd love to be able to talk to animals.It was pack full of action and adventure.The only thing I think should change is the front cover because it doesn't look very interesting.

Maizie gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Billie-may from sacred heart rc primary school:

The reason I gave this book a 3 is,I liked this book more in the middle than at the beginning and end,because you could get more detail and description .I also found the start a bit boring witch was disappointing in different ways.The illustrations were very good though on the front cover witch was very attractive.

Billie-may gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Oliver from Sharp Lane Primary School:

I loved this amazing book! I became emotionally and mentally attached to Ghost, Cormac, Kate, Renkondo and Makoto. This is easily my favourite book of all time! I am just really upset there is no sequel/prequel/pre sequel!

This book definitely gets 5 out of 5!(Thank you so much Kieran Fanning for writing this spectacular book and to Leeds Book Awards 2016 for giving me the opportunity to read this book!)

Oliver gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Hector from Rawdon ST Peters:

The black lotus was a really good book, one of the best books I've read. Its about three 11 year old children, who all have special powers which are not explained in the natural world. All go on a epic adventure to protect a special sword from falling into evils hands. I've rated this book a 4 out of 5 as its such a good book of adventure and action

Hector gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Lauren from Hunslet St Marys :

I rate this book a 4 because i liked the book I think it was interesting and it had a lot of action.I like all the characters and all the magic so i don't really have a favorite .I would recommend this to someone a bit older or not to read it at night.

Lauren gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Chloe from Hunslet St Marys :

I rated this book a 4 because I really enjoyed it and it was full of action.When I first saw the book I thought it looked really eye catching and interesting and I was correct.My favorite part was the ending although I thought it was a bit rushed.I would recommend it to my friends and family.

Chloe gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Maleehah from Shire oak:

This book was a good book but it was not my type of book.My favourite charecter was Kate.This book was not my type because it was about warriors and I do not like them type of books.My favourite part was when a power got stolen.

Maleehah gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Leah from Hunslet St Marys :

The Black Lotus was a very good book I really liked this one because it was about samurai. I deeply loved this book and it was really exciting and I couldn't stop reading until the end. Although I didn't understand the words in Japanese e.g seppuku,and shogun, I would still strongly reccommend this book to my friends and family

Leah gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Elijah from Shire oak:

the black lotus is a really good book full of adventure and time travel. I really recommend this book,anyone who likes combat and fighting will love the book

Elijah gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Grace from HOLLYBUSH:

I thought that the book was good but could be improved.

when I read the first few chapters, they were a bit to hard to take in.

Although all the fighting bits, I liked the bits about ghost and his little brother. I think children about 10-13 would enjoy it.

Grace gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Harneeka from Allerton C of E Primary School:

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't think it was going to be that good judging by what my friends said about The Black Lotus. However I enjoyed this book very much and has turned out to be one of the best books I have EVER READ!!! I really want to read more of his books!

I give The Black Lotus a massive 5 out of 5!!!

Harneeka gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Harneeka from Allerton C of E Primary:

I really enjoyed this book. I thought this book was going to be quite boring but turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read!!!

I really enjoyed this book therefore I give The Black Lotus 5 out of 5!

Harneeka gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

kayleigh from st Josephs :

The black lotus is a really good book packed full of adventure and time travel, the only reason i would rate it a four out of five is that the first 3 chapters are a little bit confusing but i would definitely recommend it.

kayleigh gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

nathan from gildersome primary:

this book wansnt my cup of tea

nathan gave The Black Lotus 1 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Declan from Holly bush primary school:

I really like the blacklotus because it shows a lot of emotions and its full of action and adventures.its just amazing how Ghost could just vanish in seconds but for some reason he didn't like to wear shoes.

Declan gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jake from St.Josephs:

I really like this book I think it is perfect. It is full of action and adventure also a lot of creative writing. I would highly recommend this book it shows lot of emotions.

Jake gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Patrick from St josephs Wetherby:

I would highly recommend this book for all thrill seekers. It is full of action and adventure. The book could not be any better. I was quite prepared to just read this book for forty five minutes. All in all I loved it.

Patrick gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Alanis from Hunslet St marys:

This book is intriguing and I would recommend to every single school in the world.My favorite page is page 306 as Kate: will it all end happily ever after.The Black Lotus made me feel scared, tearful and happy.It makes you cry,laugh and scared and I am going to give it a five. I deeply loved all this book.My favorite character is Kate as she can talk to animals she also loves animals.I feel like me and Kate are soul sisters.My least favorite character is Lady Kiko since she was a traitor.

Alanis gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Madison from Hunslet St Marys:

I thought it was a quick read and it is really interesting. My opinion changed when i read the whole book. My favorite character is Amy because she is the only girl character in the book and she plays a massive part in the book.

Madison gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

rean from Shire Oak C of E primary school:

this book was better than the last book i read,the name of the book was the misstery of the clockwork sparrow. i think the authur has donee a decant job.thank you for listening

rean gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Dominic from Ryecroft Academy:

This book is absolutely amazing. The detail and imagination the author must have had to create this is awesome. Anyone who likes combat and fighting will absolutely love this boo. It is simply wonderful.The best.

Dominic gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Urvi from St nicholas primary catholic school :

This book was amazing bale cause it was imaginative and creative. I liked the way he put different powers for the characters

Urvi gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Julliene from St Nicholas Catholic Primary School:

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE BOOK OUT OF ALL THE BOOKS I HAVE READ IN MY WHOLE LIFETIME!!! :)

It is very interesting because I am not usually into these type of book but I found this one different. The book had a lot of drama (especially we heard about Ghost's brothers death )and action in the battle and also in the castle of Ami and the President. My favourite character is Ghost, not just because I can not remember the other character but because he has a terrible past with an unforgivable mistake (which was life-taking). And now, this is rebuilding his life and helping out The Black Lotus win !!! :)

Julliene gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Daniel from St. Nicholas Catholic Primary School:

Ever wanted to learn about medieval Japan or an alternative version of events? Well this is the book for you! I gave it a 5 out of 5 because I really liked it. I would defiantly recommend it to you an to you friends.

Daniel gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Leo from Holy Rosary & St Annes :

The strength of this book is in the description of the characters. I got to know them more as I continued through the book. Kieran Fanning interwove the characters with the story line so it made everything fit together well.Overall this was an outstanding book.

Leo gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Neil from Holy Rosary & St Annes :

This is an excellent book. Each character was introduced thoroughly,taking a chapter to give us their background, which helps us understand them. It was action packed with a lot of description. It painted a picture in my head.

Neil gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Melissa from Lawns Park Primary School:

It is such an awesome thriller I love how I was able to feel as if I was I was part of the book I was very engrossed in the book so I rate it 5/5.

Melissa gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Joshua from Lawns Park Primary School:

I loved this book with the samurais looking for The Black Lotus. My favourite character was Cormac.

Joshua gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Krish from Alwoodley primary school:

This action packed book is personally my favourite one because of the amazing storyline that is about three ordinary teenagers that get recruited for the Black Lotus and protect the moon sword but when a secret samurai warrior steals it the three children risk their lives to stop the moon sword from unleashing unimaginable power on to the world...

Krish gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Leah from Moor Allerton Hall Primary School:

The is the very first book I have read about ninjas it was ok but not the best(no offence!) My favourite character was Kate

Leah gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Madihah from Alwoodley Primary School:

Black Lotus was okay I did like the star of chapter but then it did get boring.I liked how it was set in New York and different places because that was very effective in the book the cover looks very good too.The book was good but not fantastic so 3/5 for me!

Madihah gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Alexander from Adel Primary School :

I really like this book since I saw its cover which attracted me in. I'm going to continue reading this book until I finish it. I recommend this book to anyone who likes ghosts or ninjas. The book is very adventurous and full of action, also ninjas. Thank you Kieran Fanning for making this book!

Alexander gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Yusuf from Allerton CofE primary school:

This book is amazing, I couldn't stop reading it!

Yusuf gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Megan from Gildersome Primary School:

I didn't like this book it was about ninja warriors and boring old stuff like that, but hey that's my opinion, what ever you think is what you think anyway. hope you like it.

Megan gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Emily from Gildersome Primary School:

I did not like this book at all. It was confusing and not enjoyable to read. I would recommend this book though, so you can compare your review to mine

Emily gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Cezara from Allerton C of E:

I really liked this book it is full of adventures.I rate this book 5 out of 5.

Cezara gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Blake from East Garforth Primary Academy:

I love this book because I love mysteries and this book has everything I like. It's amazing because the police had no idea that the robber had turned invisible to escape and one of the empire persons had turned against them to bring them down with help from the robber.

I would recommend this to a person who likes mysteries.

Blake gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Alisha from Calverley c of e :

I did not enjoy reading this book because I could not understand half of it manly because loads of it is in Japanese. I also thought this book was a book that was made for boys but that is just my opinion however I would recommend this to 10-11 year olds because I don't think 9year old boys will understand it. Judging the cover I thought that it was going to be boyish wich I still believe but I thought it would get better but it did not.

Alisha gave The Black Lotus 1 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Saarim from Calverly c.e primary school:

Black lotus is the best book I have ever read in my past 11years

I like it because it has ninjas and it has action that's the best part.one tip if you make another book make it a bit girlish.

Saarim gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Hazel from Westgate Primary:

I gave This book 5/5 because it was action packed and really awesome. Although it took a long time to get in to, it made up for it with its exiting story line and brilliant twists. Three children called Kate, Cormack and Ghost are recruited by the Black lotus (A group of ninjas fighting against the evil Lord Goda) and are pulled into a world of adventure, time travel and danger. Their super natural skills are pushed to the limit when the moon sword is stolen and they have to get it back to save New York city. This book draws you in and you just can't put it down after you've started!

Hazel gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Molly from Ryecroft Academy:

I like this book because it has loads of interesting parts in it. I recomend this book to the people that enjoy having something to read.

Molly gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Kate from Crossley Street:

The Black Lotus was pretty good and I really liked the time travel parts.This was a book I wouldn't have chosen myself but still found it enjoyable. My favourite character is Kate because shes very similar to me and I also liked Ami also known as Kiko.I recommend this book.

Kate gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Leah from Moor alerton hall primary school:

I didn't really enjoy this book I think it is aimed more for boys I found it a bit exiting I wouldn't recommend it I think it could be improved by putting more description in it.

Leah gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Ella from Crossley Street:

This book was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! I fell in love with it. The surprises, that were hidden beneath the unpredictable plot were fascinating. My absolute favourite character has to be Kate, the American street living girl with her epic power of talking to animals. From the cover you would not believe it is so good and like it is. But like they say you can't judge a book by its cover, and that's what I think. I recommend this book to children my age. Also this book's ending was so happy and made me warm inside.

Ella gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Mark from Beeston Primary:

This book was extremely good. It was packed full of action and the imagination behind this book was absolutely amazing

Mark gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Erin from Beeston Primary School:

I found this book very boring because i don't really like action books and it seemed to drag on forever.I gave this book 3/5 because it didn't seem to interest me and the characters are confusing.

Erin gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Ruari from Farsley FarField Primary School:

I really like this book because it switches from different perspective through out this book. It makes you not want to put the book down because your always on the edge of your seat and you never know whats going to happen next.

Ruari gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Blaise from Farsley Farfield Primary School:

'The Black Lotus' is a great book. Very good for an 11 year old boy. Very action-packed. By far my favourite character is Ghost - being able to turn invisible is... AWESOME! You can do so many pranks...

Blaise gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Beth from Farsley Farfield:

Like action and adventure this is the book for you...

Beth gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Thomas from Raynville Primary School:

I love this book because I'm really into Japanese culture and it has a really good plot to it. It's very action-packed. The book can be explained in three words: dangerous time-travelling adventure. The book is really mythical and has all sorts of mysteries in it.

Thomas gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Isabella from Otley All Saints Primary School :

The Black Lotus is an amazing book because it shows how spies are taught to be able to fight and crush the empire. It also show three teenagers who the book follows - Black Lotus is their group name.

Isabella gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Keira from St Francis Cathlic Primary School Morley:

I really enjoyed this book. I did not think I would like it because it is not something I would usually read however once I started it I really liked it. I would really reccomend this book. It is not my favourite book I have read during Leeds book awards however it comes close.

Keira gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Caitlin from Waterloo Primary School:

I loved this book!It is all about three children that think they are just an ordinary child,but really they are ninjas.I love these sort of books because all of the action makes me want to turn the page over as soon as I finish the present page.Although I loved this book,I couldn't quite give it a 5-it didn't really have a good enough ending.

Caitlin gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

leon from holy family :

I did'nt really like this book because I did'nt understand the Japneze words. I did like page 10 I found that funny but I found the book boring but also intresting and fun. Also I liked the time travelling bit. The voice in Ghost's head I liked.

leon gave The Black Lotus 2 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Ella-Rois from Holy Family Catholic Primary School:

In my oppinion this book was really good, you can relate to the characters very well like Kate because she is very emotional and head-strong. One of the downsides for me was that I couldn't read the Japnese words and the font was a bit to small. I liked it more than I thought I would. If I was to describe this book in three words they would be exciting,adventurous and time-travel. If you like books that are adventurous and have Samurai in them this book would reaaly suit you.

Ella-Rois gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

ABIGAIL-FALLON from HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL:

I gave this book 4/5 because its really adventurous my kind of book-my favourite book so far. I really liked the fact that the characters were realistic for me it was there names Kate,ghost and cormac.I loved the fact that it kept me guessing.My favourite part of the book was the start I particullary liked pg.10 I found this pg really funny.I would advise an older child to read this.

ABIGAIL-FALLON gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Niamh from Holy family catholic primary school:

I can definetly relate to some of the characters because im really fussy and emotional.I thought that page 12 is amazing it is packed with extreme its absolutely mind blowing.The font was sized perfect, I loved the storyline behind all the mystery 3 words to describe:fun,extreme and time travel my new dicoveries are: try new jaunres because this was amazing and not many people will choose this book but you cant say you dont like a book without reading it. I found the Japenese words hard to read but I found the glossary and iI enjoyed it so much!

Niamh gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Raichel from Holy Family Catholic Primary:

I really loved this book especially the adventure parts. I loved the Japanese words and style but if your not into Samuri then this is probably not a book for you! Its worth reading for the characters I really liked them because I have similar traits such as Kate who is a simpathetic and emotional person like me. The story was great but towards the end it got a bit silly for plot purposes but even so I still found it very interesting and I was satisfied with it! It gave me emotions which is always good and the use of the glossary was very helpful! If I had to use three words to describe the book I would say Time travel, supernatural and Culture.

Raichel gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Zuzanna from Holy Family Catholic Primary school:

Black Lotus was a very descriptive book with lots of different emotions, sad,happy and angry. The thing that annoyed me was the Japanese words but when I found out that the book has a glossary at the back I started enjoying the book more. I really liked the characters because I have similar traits such as Kate who is a simpathetic and emotional person like me. I really enjoyed this book because it was adventures and it had time travel in the book.

Zuzanna gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Megan from Southroyd:

The Black Lotus is my favourite book so far. I loved the character Kate, becauseshe could speak to animals. I also think that there should be more Black Lotus books, because I'd love to read on about any more missions Cormac, Ghost and Kate go on.👍😀😄

Megan gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Harley from White laith primary school:

This book was Amazing. At first I couldn't get into it at first but I persevered and a quarter of the way through I loved it. I didn't think I would ever read a book like that I would normally read books like the witches by Roald Dahl. I rated it a three because at the start and the end it was a bit boring but it made up for it in the middle.

Harley gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Tayyeb from Allerton ce Primary:

This book was very interesting and mysterious! There was lots of action as well. My favourite part was when Kate summoned the animals at the end and also, the time travelling was very mysterious! Over all, this was an amazing book!

Tayyeb gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Giaan from Weetwood Primary School:

This was a FANTASTIC/AMAZING book. Normally I would never read books like this but this was just amazing; the only bit of criticism is that sometimes I did not know where I was and I had to keep flicking back to the glossary to find out what the Japanese words meant. I would recommend this to anyone... I especially loved the suspense and tension, I did not want it to end!!!!

Giaan gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Christopher from Alwoodley Primary School:

Normally I wouldn't read these kind of books but this was absolutely fantastic and I hope that Kieran Fanning makes this book into a series. If I were to be anybody in The Black Lotus I would probably be Cormac because of his super speed.

This was an awesome book.

Christopher gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Charlie from Alwoodley:

An amazing fast paced all action adventure where superpowered-ninjas (2 out 3 of my favourite things). My favourite ninja is Cormac (with his AWESOME SPEED POWERS). If I recommended it, I'd recommend it to DC and MARVEL fans (or everyone who has a taste in superheroes) and Japenese ninja fans. I'd rate it 4 and a half stars. A great possible film and hope for a sequel.

Charlie gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jay from Alwoodley Primary School:

I loved Black Lotus but it just didn't reach 5 stars. I like it how people have the powers and how New York is damaged. The one thing I would change would be the front cover. The Statue of Liberty could have had a crack down the middle of it. The Shozukos are awesome!!!!!!!!!!

Jay gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Toby from Ireland wood primary school:

I like the book a lot and a lot of imagination and research

Toby gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Zoe from West End Primary:

I like this book I like how its in different places and I knew were each place was. I would recommend this book to everyone under 10.

Zoe gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Anna from Adel Primary School:

I really enjoyed reading this book.I thought it was really creative and am looking forward to the next of the series. Congragulations Kieran Fanning because this is an amazing book.

Anna gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Jayna from Adel Primary School:

I really liked this book because of the Japanese twist that it brought. I also liked that it was really action packed and I am really looking forward to the rest of the series.

Jayna gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Amy from Greenhill Primary:

I wasn't too sure if I would like this book at first but towards the end, it became very interesting. Anybody who likes action should read this book. Overall, an action packed story.

Amy gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Anna from Weetwood primary:

This is an AMAZING,action-packed book that is full of adventure!

The only criticism I would have would be that it can be a bit confusing but still a brilliant book.

Anna gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Rimsha from Moor Allerton Hall Primary School:

I really enjoyed reading The Black Lotus because it was filled with action, adventure and mystery. My favourite part was when they had to time travel to stop Kiko from getting The Moon Sword to Lord Goda because it was really intriguing and exciting.

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Rimsha gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Archie from Shireoak:

The black lotus is a great book for 9-12 year olds .it is action packed and has some interesting characters like cor Mac who was my favourite.this book got exciting in the middle and end

Archie gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Aaisha from Shire Oak primary school:

I did enjoy it a bit but its just i am not into the samarai wars its a bit like power rangers.The front cover is really nice and great colours.I was amazed with it a lot.I am really sorry Kieran Fanning.

Aaisha gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Nikodem from East Garforth Primary Academy:

This Book Is fantastic Best Book I ever read. every body who likes scary stories and adventure book's should read it. My best moment was when they got the moon sword. I rated 5 stars because for me is amazing

Nikodem gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

hamza from allerton cofe primary:

I liked this book because it had a lot of action. At the beginning it was really boring but as I read on, it got more interesting. There was a few misunderstandings but I tried really hard and in the end, I liked it.

hamza gave The Black Lotus 1 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Laura from Thorner c of e primary school:

This book was an extremely exiting packed full of ninjas, action and adventure. I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. If you like fighting and action then this is the book for you. The book was full of cliff hangers and tension and I really enjoyed it.

Laura gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Alex from Calverley C of E primary :

I love this book because it reminds my of Xmen but some of the words are very very hard and it's not just the Chinese words it's all of them.My favourite part of the book is the ending because I loved the war.It was so good so I rated the book 5/5 I would recommend this book to people who like superpowers.

Alex gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Oliver from Calverly CofE primary:

I thought the book was exiting and full of action ,the best book by far.I liked the setting and the characters .I would recommend it to someone who likes action and adventure.

Oliver gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Thomas from Crossley St primary school:

It was a very exciting book with some action packed moments. It's like marmite you either hate it or love it.

Thomas gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jamie from Gildersome primary school :

The Black Lotus is a very good book. It starts off just as any regular book would, but then as you get further into the story it has more action and more adventure. People in this book, who you meet sometimes really close to the beginning of the book, are not always what they pull out to be so WATCH OUT! In the Black Lotus there are not only chapters but there are also sections as I like to call them. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you did to!

Jamie gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Shayla from Middleton St Marys C of E primary school:

I am giving it a 4 out of because I have not read it all yet but it is really powerful with action.I have also learnt a bit of Japanese I now know that "Shinobi" means Ninja in English.I would reccomend The Black Lotus to a friend that loves powerful Action.

Shayla gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Madison from Green Lane Primary Academy:

The Black Lotus was a very enjoyable book. It was about 3 teenagers (Ghost,Cormac and Kate)who had special powers and attended The Black Lotus school for ninjas. When the sword The Black Lotus was protecting was stolen Ghost, Cormac and Kate have to try and get it back. This book had lots of twists and was very exciting! I gave this book 4 stars because at the start I didn't quite understand it but later on in the book it got a lot better. I would recommend this book for people who like adventures and have a big imagination.

Madison gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

louis from st margerets primary school:

I liked this book because it has a lot of action and the ending is very heart warming. I recomend this book to people who like a lot of action.

louis gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

jude from thorner primary school:

If you love action packed danger and thrill this is the book for you. The attention to detail is amazing and I love the fact that he gave the main characters superpowers. The names are thought through so they relate to their superpower. Ghost is so funny with his "sayings"!

The only thing I don't like is the front cover it is too childish for this type of book and way too serious for a cover like that

jude gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Hattie from Thorner C of E Primary School:

To you having a super power is an almost impossible dream! To the students a Black Lotus it's reality! When Kate, Cormac and Ghost are thrust into a world where everything that is thought to be impossible is easily possible then their not afraid to show their special powers. A book of time travel, mystery and action. Brilliant Book . Brilliant Twists. READ IT!

Hattie gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Ana-Luisa from Meadowfield Primary:

I loved the part when Kieran added the superpowers and the invisibility suits it was AMAZING.I definitely recommend this book.

Ana-Luisa gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jack from Alerton Bywater primary :

I loved this book because it was jam packed with action which grabbed me in. Also there was a twist at the end which I found a bit too emotional and soppy.

Jack gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Ewan from FarsleyFarfieldPrimarySchool:

The Black Lotus is a very cool and interesting and has a lot of action in it. Every page was just amazing and I never could never predict what would happen next. My favourite characters are Ghost and Kate because having the ability to turn invisible is awesome and talking to animals would be ace and I would like to have that ability.

Ewan gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Mia from Allerton Bywater Primary:

I didn't think a lot about this book. It's not a book that I would choose normally and personally I found it a bit boring because I'm not interested in ninjas.I found the end more interesting than the beginning though because there was more gore!

Mia gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Jacob from Crossley-st-primary-school:

I thought Black Lotus was amazing.I gave it 4/5 stars because the author put a lot of imagination into the book and also got me thinking how awesome it would be to be able to talk to animals.

Jacob gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Stanley from Gildersome Primary School:

I loved all the action in the black lotus

Stanley gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Eesa from Alwoodley primary school:

I have enjoyed reading Black Lotus. It's about 3 children who have some sort of super powers. One boy is called Ghost and he can turn invisible.There is also a boy called Cormac who is super fast and dosen't break a sweat. Then there is a girl called Kate who can talk to animals.There is a sword called the moon sword and there are two sides. One called the Black lLotus and one called the Kyatapira. The Kyatapira have two other swords which have unbelievable power. I would recommend this twist and turns book to all people.

Eesa gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Eesa from Alwoodley primary school:

I have enjoyed reading Black Lotus. It's about 3 children who have some sort of super powers. One boy is called Ghost and he can turn invisible.There is also a boy called Cormac who is super fast and dosen't break a sweat. Then there is a girl called Kate who can talk to animals.There is a sword called the moon sword and there are two sides. One called the Black Lotus and one called the Kyatapira. The Kyatapira have two other swords which have unbelievable power. I would recommend this twist and turns book to all people.

Eesa gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Eesa from Alwoodley primary school:

I have enjoyed reading Black Lotus. It's about 3 children who have some sort of super powers. One boy is called Ghost and he can turn invisible.There is also a boy called Cormac who is super fast and dosen't break a sweat. Then there is a girl called Kate who can talk to animals.There is a sword called the moon sword and there are two sides. One called the Black Lotus and one called the Kyatapira. The Kyatapira have two other swords which have unbelievable power. I would recommend this twist and turns book to all people.

Eesa gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Scarlett from Horsforth Featherbank Primary School:

This book was AMAZING! I thoroughly enjoyed it, because of all the exciting moments - I couldnt put it down, it was such a page turner! 'The Black Lotus' is an incredible book about three teenagers learning to be ninjas - Cormac, Kate and Ghost. But then they are called to use their developing skills early, when the third sword is stolen from their trainer's grasp - will they succeed in their mission? Will they return unhurt and victorious, with the precious sword?

Scarlett gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Jemima from Horsforth Featherbank Primary School:

I loved The Black Lotus because it was an amazing book and I couldn't stop reading it. My favourite characters were Ghost and Kate. I think that it could be improved by making it more detailed or maybe making it a bit shorter. I liked Ghost because he can turn invisible and also because I like his personality. I also like Kate's personality and love the idea of being able to talk to animals.It was the best book of the week and I loved it! I loved all the action and think it was a real page-turner!

Jemima gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Evie from Horsforth Featherbank Primary School:

This book was exciting and full of mystery and surprises! I only gave it a 4 star rating because I enjoyed it thoroughly, however the most exciting bit was at the end. My favorite part of the book was the end because it was SO exciting! To conclude, this book was FABULOUS!

Evie gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Louisa from Ryecroft Academy:

This book is very exciting and intense. It was one of the best books that I have ever read but it is a bit boring at times. My favourite character is Ghost because he can turn invisible ,which is the best superpower you can have. Cormac can run up walls and run super fast, so fast that when you look at him he is a blur. The last character is able to speak to animals which is very needed when you are fighting animals. People I would recommend it to children around the age of 11 that are into a fantasy and adventure type of story.

Louisa gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Avril from Ryecroft Academy:

Even though the beginning wasn't very intriguing, as I got further into the book it became more interesting and I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book to people who love action packed books and have a thirst for adventure.

Avril gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Abaigael from Allerton c of e primary:

This book wasn't for me I found this book hard to finish, I think people into superpowers and ninjas would enjoy this book however it was not my cup of tea.

Abaigael gave The Black Lotus 1 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Katarina from Adel Primary School:

The Black Lotus is an awesome action-packed book with lots of fun and humor, as soon as I started reading it, I was hooked , I couldn't put this book down! I can't wait to read the next one! This book is perfect for anyone who likes ninjas, time travel and super-human powers.

Katarina gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Ms from GREENHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL:

Really enjoyed this book. Once I got into the story (which didn't take long) I couldn't put it down. Very good!

Ms gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Alice from ST.Margaret's:

Ithought the black lotus was amazing! I could not put this book down and I also think it is a alround thriller . This book never had a dull moment and it is a completely action packed . I would recomend this for anyone who likes and loves adventure!!!!

Alice gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Louise from Allerton Bywater:

I absolutely loved this book because of the action and adventure in it. My favourite part was from the middle onwards because it all came together in an action-packed scene.

Louise gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Danielle from GreenLanePrimaryAcademy:

What if you were a teenage ninja ?

Cormac,Ghost and Kate are recruited to join Black Lotus(A training camp for ninjas.) Black Lotus are protecting the one thing that is stopping Lord Goda from turning the modern world into 16th century Japan (The moon sword.) However when one of their teachers turn out to be the enemy the fight between good and evil begins

Will the three ever complete this life threatening task?

At the start the book was not intriguing. The opening line 'which is meant to hook the reader, unfortunately made me want to close the book. Luckily, the middle of the book was more enjoyable as the plot started to unravel and made more sense.

My favourite character was Kate because of her light-hearted nature and I loved her skill,to be able to communicate with animals.I enjoyed her fighting scene (pg 207-208) I thought it was cleverly written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My favourite section in the book was the the last 8 chapters because they were I think the most dramatic. They made me feel like I was in the middle of the scene watching the events happen.

The only thing apart from the start I didn't enjoy was that I kept having to flick back the pages to the glossary t find the meaning of the Japanese words I found this quite irritating because some the words that were in the book like: bosta.

I gave this book a 4 out of 5 because even though there were things that could be improved on the majority of the book was great!

Danielle gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Charlie from Weetwood primary school :

Really good book. Action packed.

Charlie gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Joseph from Shire Oak:

The Black Lotus is a nice exciting,adventurous and electric book with amazing drama all the way through the book.I wish the book never stops but sadly it does.

Joseph gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Alexander from St Benerdicts:

I really enjoyed this book. My favourite part was when Ghost took his clothes off and turned invisible and climbed down to a hotel room below and escaped from the Kats who are police. I would highly recommend this book for action lovers and people who are age 9 to 11.

Alexander gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Thomas from Calverley ce primary school:

I think the book is really good because it is paint a pictoure in your head. My favorate caricature is cormac because I think his ability is really cool.I think to improve it you need to describe the setting more and make it more moden.

Thomas gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Jagtar from Calverley c of e primary school:

I really enjoyed the book because at first you don't really get the book but near the middle it all fits together and the twist was very surprising . I thought girls would hate the book but it really hooks the reader in. It was one of the best book I read!

Jagtar gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Chloe from Crossley Street primary:

I liked this book loads and i would definitly read another of Kieran Fanning's books.The story line was well constructed.My favourite character was the ghost who was mischievous and funny. I recommend this book from 9-12 year olds. The author has a brilliant imagination.

Chloe gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Daniel from Westgate Primary School:

The Black Lotus was an amazing book full of mystery and intrigue. The 3 main characters are Cormac, Ghost and Kate. They are summoned by the Black Lotus - an organisation fighting against the evil Lord Goda. When the Moon Sword is stolen by Lord Goda they must learn to fight as ninjas.

My favourite character was Kate because she could talk to animals. She turns out to be quite a hero using this power. At one point in the book, I felt quite emotional because the author made the story so realistic. This made reading the book really interesting and exciting.

I can't think of anything I didn't like in this book - it just kept on drawing me in at every page. The Black Lotus is action-packed with a bit of fighting in: I would recommend it to anyone who likes ninjas, cool powers and advanced fighting. A brilliant book!

Daniel gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Amy from Green Lane Primary Academy :

Ghost, Cormac and Kate are new recruits of a training school for ninjas called The Black Lotus. However, when the moon sword is stolen they are whisked away into 16th-century Japan.

I enjoyed this book because the mysterious scenes were written with such intensity it kept me turning the pages.

There wasn't much I disliked about the book because the ending suggested that there would be another book to follow on the story.

I would recommend this book to older readers because the storyline could be possibly too hard to follow. I also think this book would be great for fans of mystery.

Amy gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Nicolas from Sacred Heart Primary school:

I liked the Black Lotus because it was about ninjas defending a sword(the moon sword wich is really special)that Goda wants to take and take over the world because he has already 2 swords but then 3 teenagers from the Black Lotus that have just joined called Cormac,Ghost and Kate go and save the world because Godas wife worked at Black Lotus but they didnt know that she did and she stole the sword and gave it to Goda,then Goda made an huge army but the three teenagers and thier master defeat them.I would give this book an 4 out of 5

Nicolas gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

lewis from greenhill primary school:

WOW! This book was truly amazing, i HAVE READ MANY BOOKS BUT NEVER ONE LIKE THIS. AT FIRST I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT REALLY A STORY LINE. BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULD NOT STOP READING IT AS IT GOT SO SPECTACULAR. IF YOU WERE TO SEE THIS BOOK IN A LIBRARY I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU TO BORROW.

lewis gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

alfie from greenhill primary school:

wow!this book is literally amazing.it is full of wonderful surprises and I was not expecting it to be as good as it was.the cover black lotus made me think it was gonna be about a Japanese fighter a little bit like karate kid but actually it was something completely different.if you see this book around or near your nearest library,make sure you borrow it or at least read it.

alfie gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

James from Thorner Primary:

Black lotus was an amazing book. It was a very adventurous book and i liked the character Ghost. He was very brave in the book. It is a very good book. READ IT!!!!!!!!!!

James gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Eve from Southroyd primary and nursery school :

The black lotus , a fanasy and adventure book, is very imaginitive and is also quite funny in parts. The reason why I liked this book was because it had a good balance of reality style text and fantasy.

Eve gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Zack from Otley All saints:

This book is good because it goes almost straight into the actual story-line that goes all over the place. All I can say (because I`ll get told off otherwise!) is that keep going on with it! It`s awesome!

Zack gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Jack from Horsforth Featherbank Primary School:

Kieran Fanning has a huge imagination. I enjoyed the humour

and found the plot really exciting, if anyone likes ninjas and

adventure than this is the book for them.

Jack gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Alex from Horsforth Featherbank Primary Shcool:

I think Kieran Fanning has one of the best imaginations I have ever seen! The characters are amazing and the way he writes the story is very impressive.

One of the best books I have ever read!

Alex gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Isaac from Chapel Allerton primary school:

This book was AMAZING! My favourite character was Ghost because he was very mysterious and funny.I would recommend this book to people who like fighting and guns.

Isaac gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Edie from Weetwood primary:

It's about 3 ninjas that have to save a special sword from the evil Lord Goda and his wife Kiki. The ninjas have to travel through time and face many impossible tasks on the way.

I think it is amazing and it's the best book I've read for a while. I really didn't want to stop reading!

Edie gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

Lucy from Weetwood primary school:

This book was exciting,action-packed and thrilling!I loved all of the samurais, ninjas and unusual weapons.This book definitely deserves a 5 out of 5.I really want there to be a sequel.

Lucy gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Gursian from Crossley Street Primary School:

I enjoyed this book I would definitely read another book by Kieran Fanning. My favorite character was Ghost because I would love the power that he has. I hope there is going to be another book in The Samurai Wars.

Gursian gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Sam from Southroyd primary school:

I enjoyed this book, although it was quite hard to get in to. I would definitely read another book by Kieran Fanning. My favourite character was Ghost because I would love the power that he has. I hope there is going to be another book in The Samurai Wars.

Sam gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Emma from Southroyd Primary:

I really like this book because of the way it is structured. It is full of surprises that want to make you read on. I would recommend this book to people who like mysteries and secrets

Emma gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.

Carly from Green Lane Primary Academy:

I really like Black Lotus, it is very exciting and adventurous with lots of funny and unexpected moments. I would recommend this book to people that like shocks and lots of surprising scenes.

Carly gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Anya from Green Lane Primary Acadamy:

I liked it because it was action packed and at the end things got interesting

Anya gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Josh P from Green Lane Primary Academy:

I gave Black Lotus a 3 out of 5 because it wasn't that interesting all the way through the book.It would have nice to know what happened outside of the of the missions. I would recommend this book to a person who likes action and mission books.

Josh P gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Josh P from Green Lane Primary Academy:

I gave Black Lotus a 3 out of 5 because it wasn't that interesting all the way through the book.It would have nice to know what happened outside of the of the missions. I would recommend this book to a person who likes action and mission books.

Josh P gave The Black Lotus 3 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Dom from GLPA:

I rate this book 5 stars because it was very fast moving and even though half of it was Japanese I could never put the book down. I liked how it had the Japanese chapter again so you could understand it.

Dom gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine.

ALFIE from green lane:

I LOVE THIS BOOK BECAUSE I LIKE THE POWERS THE KIDS HAVE AND I LIKED THE GUN RAID THAT THEY HAVE ON THE WAY TO THE BASE

ALFIE gave The Black Lotus 5 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

Ben from Chapel Alleton Primary School:

I got sucked into this book the minute I read the first few words and I can see why the librarians chose this book. I'm looking forward to reading another book award book!

Ben gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Demolition Dad by Phil Earle.

Charlie from Beeston Primary School:

I loved the way the reader show the suspense and tension. I felt like was a part of the book.

Charlie gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Mel Foster and the Demon Butler by Julia Golding.

jamie from Weetwood primary school:

The book was thrilling and I loved the suspense in the 2nd part of it when she steals the moon sword and when they nick it back.

jamie gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis.

Alessandro from Wigton Moor Primary school:

I enjoyed this book a lot I recommend this book for everyone,the first few chapters were a little slow.I didn't like the front cover I think the author could improve that because It's not very catchy.The language was amazing but the blurb didn't really show how good the book was.

Alessandro gave The Black Lotus 4 out of 5 and now plans to read My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons.