The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice

At first when I saw that someone had given this book two stars, I was amazed ... then I read the whole review and saw the person gave very appropriate reasons. This book is excellent reading for a wide variety of people; the author had a highly unusual childhood, essentially becoming unofficially "emancipated" from his parents and living on his own from early adolescence. We learn a great deal about the thoughts and experiences of a talented author and writer who saw into a number of unfamiliar and intriguing worlds. At the same time, I know what the reviewer means when she says there are a number of places in the story where events are scary or off-putting to many readers. The author isn't trying to write a shocker or a gross-out book, but he tries hard to be honest about his youthful life, and along with the delightful experiences he had in developing his artistic talents, there were some disturbing events that left him confused and hurt at the time. People who know his wonderful children's picture books might not be prepared for this one, in which not everything is "sweetness and light." So the lone "two-star" reviewer has done an important favor in cautioning you what to expect.Nonetheless, young people looking for books that reflect some of the hard realities of life -- or who at least can read about them without being too discouraged -- can gain a lot from reading this powerfully account of the good and the bad in the life of a very unusual boy who grew into a very unusual man.

This is the best because the japanese culture is a whole new unexplored area for us 'Americans', we hardly know anything about anything in countries like Japan or China and this book displays almost the whole life of an average kid in Japan. I myself know because I used to live there. I studied there for years and I had hobbies like reading their great manga and watching their anime and this story relates to a kid like me. I love this so please if you want a great reading experiance get this and if you do read it, really read it it is truly great.

I liked this book a lot because the author described the story very vividly. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. Also, I liked the story of the book, too. It was a topic I have never read about. I wish I was the boy who became the pupil of the famous cartoonist because I could become a little famous and I could draw and paint well. The character I liked best was Kiyoi because he was brave, nice, and when he got advice, he would learn from it quickly. He liked painting with charcoal, watercolors, and pastels. He always obeyed his Sensei and he never caused any trouble. I would recommend this book to kids all ages. -Steven Yum, 6th grade, American School In Japan

This book is the kind of 'pick it up and can't put it down' book. The book just made me keep reading and reading, and I couldn't stop. The topic it talked about was unique, a topic that I haven't ever read about before. Mr. Say seems to be able to capture a person in what he writes. The way he tells it makes what's happening in the book so real. I wish that I was Kiyoi, because one of the things that I always wished to be able to do was draw. The charactor that I liked the best was Kiyoi, partially because he was the main charactor and partially because he led such an interesting life. He seemed to be a friend that I would like to have. I recommend this book to most people, young and old. -Dustin Li, 6th grade, American School In Japan.