• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

Stealth of the Ninja, book eight in the “Submarine Outlaw” series, brings Alfred, our courageous and idealistic protagonist, to a whole new level of experience when he pilots his homemade submarine to Japan. Here he visits a strange old man who lives on an abandoned freighter drifting on the sea. The man — a ninja, in fact — challenges Al to acquire greater physical strength and stealth. But it is also the time of the 2011 tsunami, and the giant wave capsizes and sinks the ship, taking his new teacher with it. Al barely escapes in his sub. Certain that the old man is still alive and trapped inside the sunken ship, Al faces the difficult decision of whether to attempt a most dangerous rescue. Should a seventeen-year-old put his life at great risk to save a one-hundred-year-old man? Or can one sometimes say that the risk is simply too great? Al must decide quickly. Time is running out.

Philip Roy continues to travel back and forth between Nova Scotia and Ontario, keeping residence in both places. For some half-dozen years now, he has been presenting orally a series of stories at local schools, fairs, and markets called “Happy the Pocket Mouse.” The first of the series, Mouse Tales, illustrated by Andrea Torrey Balsara, will be released by Ronsdale Press in spring 2014. This series of picture books complements Philip’s “Submarine Outlaw” series for young adults, which is now up to volume six. Recently he travelled to Australia to research the materials for the next book in the series, Eco Warrior, to appear in the fall of 2014. Travelling makes for great adventure, Philip contends. The only thing better is writing about it and visiting schools and libraries to share the stories with young readers. Visit Philip Roy’s website at www.philiproy.ca

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