Winner of 2020 Northern Lights Book Awards Author/Illustrator Category This is a universal story of chasing your dream even if those around you disapprove. In Ninja Boy’s Secret, Tina Schneider’s lively, amusing illustrations bring her character’s struggles and ultimate triumph vividly to life. This Japanese-inspired picture book teaches kids valuable lessons through a fun and inspiring story. Ninja Boy has a secret. It’s not that he’s flunking out of Ninja Academy—his dad knows that. It’s that Ninja Boy doesn’t like skulking about quietly in the night, clad in black like a thief, leaving no trace of his existence. He knows he’ll never be half the Ninja his father is—silent as a ghost, ever ready to attack. No, this little Ninja has a calling. He’s a talented musician who expresses himself with a violin. He wants to share that passion with his dad, but is afraid his father will not approve. So what’s a misguided maestro to do? Summoning all the courage and passion he has, he plays a loud and beautiful violin sonata for his Ninja dad! With his faithful dog in tow, Ninja Boy makes his way from silence to song in a charming tale about being true to yourself and finding your calling in life.