TEACHING

GUIDE

CREATED BY
SHY NINJA | Adara Sanchez | Ricardo Sanchez |
Arianna Florean| 9781643378633 | $14.99/ £12.99 |
Ages 8+ | Humanoids
8+
 Overview

The graphic novel Shy Ninja, wrien by father-daughter duo Ricardo Sanchez and Adara Sanchez and
illustrated by Arianna Florean, tells the heartwarming story of a socially anxious middle-schooler, Rena
Villanueva, who is suddenly thrust into the world of Ninjutsu.

Aer enrolling in a local “School for Ninjas” to appease her mother and therapist, Rena discovers that
there’s more to the school than meets the eye. With the help of a mysterious instructor, Master Dysart,
she sets out on a path to fulfill an ancient prophecy – but only if she can first overcome her fears and
anxieties.

Combining heartfelt social-emotional growth with adventure and intrigue, Shy Ninja puts a new spin on
the Ninja and martial arts genre, offering readers a tale about gaining confidence in themselves, learning
to trust others, and making hard decisions in the face of tremendous odds.
Key Characters
Rena Villanueva, aka “The Ghost,” is the protagonist of the story.
She struggles with a social anxiety disorder, which keeps her from
engaging in school and participating in group activities. As she
grapples to find her identity and the courage to face her fears, she is
quickly thrust into a world of ancient prophecies, Ninja training, and
corporate espionage that challenges her in ways she never expected.

Antonia is Rena’s mentor and friend at the School for Ninjas. Even
as Antonia guides Rena on her path to become “The Ghost,” Rena
begins to suspect that Antonia may have ulterior motives.

Master Sundar Dysart is the master of the Ninja academy

and the leader of an ancient society of Ninjas. Aer
recruiting Rena early on in the story, he tells her about
an ancient prophecy: that Rena is destined to become
“The Ghost,” the most highly skilled Ninja in the world.
However, as the book progresses, Dysart’s priorities become
increasingly dubious, and soon Rena is forced to decide
where her loyalties lie.

Sidney is Rena’s best friend. Rena’s anxiety disorder – coupled with

the fact that Sidney is immunocompromised and forced to live in a
literal bubble – means they are rarely able to meet in person. Even
so, Sidney is Rena’s champion and supporter throughout the book,
helping tether her to the world beyond the Ninja school.

Rena’s Mom is a scientist working on an artificial intelligence

program that she calls “Junior.” Even as she encourages Rena to
seek out social outlets to help her overcome her anxiety, Mom
inadvertently pushes Rena into a new, dangerous world that will
forever change their family and the course of Rena’s life.

Dr. Menoly is Rena’s therapist who helps her understand and

overcome her fears of social interaction, giving Rena the tools
and advice she needs to push through the symptoms of her
social anxiety disorder.
 Settings
César Chávez Middle School is where
Rena aends school. Early in the book, she
struggles to speak up in class, engage with
fellow students, or participate in group
activities due to her social anxiety disorder.

Watsonville Ninja School is the site where Rena is trained

in Ninja arts. Located in an unassuming strip mall, this Ninja
school first offers Rena a social outlet but quickly becomes
the place where she trains to fulfill her destiny to become
“The Ghost.”

The Secret Ninja Headquarters is the site of Master Dysart’s

ancient Ninja society and is run by a mysterious council. The
headquarters also serves as the location for the graphic
novel’s climax.

Emergent Technologies is a corporate entity that Master

Dysart claims is holding onto dangerous and illegal
technology that Rena must steal with her newfound Ninja
skills.
 THEMes
Anxiety and Mental Health are key themes in Shy Ninja. Though Rena
struggles with her social anxiety disorder, she gradually conquers her
fears of failure and social interaction on her journey to become “The
Ghost.” In addition, the events of Shy Ninja help destigmatize therapy and
the important role it in can play in youth development.

Identity and the struggle for self-acceptance are at the emotional core
of Shy Ninja. Rena first resists her identity as “The Ghost” but soon
accepts it. However, as the story continues, it becomes apparent that the
identities we define ourselves by and ascribe to others are not always
so clean-cut. As she breaks out of her shell, Rena learns an important
lesson: that identity is shaped by our place and relation to the world
around us, and in order to find who we really are, we must make an effort
to interact with the outside world and the people who inhabit it.

Perseverance and Strength drive Rena to continue pursuing the

Ninja arts despite many setbacks along the way. Although she
oen thinks of giving up, her drive to master the Ninja arts and
fulfill her destiny – along with the support she receives from her
best friend, mother, and therapist – helps her to stay strong and
persevere through her doubts.

Ethics differ between each of the characters. While Master

Dysart’s stated wish is to use Rena’s Ninja skills to help
return the Ninja to their former glory, Rena seeks to use
her newfound powers to help others and do good in the
world. Likewise, the story also explores ideas around 21st-
century ethics related to artificial intelligence and the use of
technology.

Deception defines not only the core of Rena’s Ninja

training but also many of the characters’ interactions
throughout the graphic novel. Even as Rena learns new
Ninja skills to deceive her enemies, she also misleads
her mother while seeking to become the ultimate Ninja.
Likewise, deception is used against Rena in ways that
don’t become apparent until late in the story.
pre-reading activities
Discuss the following as a class or in small groups:

1. What do you know about Ninjas or Ninjutsu? In what pop culture media have you seen
Ninjas appear? What has been your favorite or least favorite representations? Why?

2. What do you think “Social Anxiety” might mean? How do you think that might affect
someone’s daily life? How might it affect their relationships?

3. What do you think Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) means? In what situations might A.I. be
useful? Do you think A.I. could be harmful? As an extension, students can search Newsela.com
for articles relating to artificial intelligence.
Discussion Questions
1. Mr. Chang knows that Rena is anxious and does not want to answer questions in class. Why
does he ask her anyway? Should teachers push students beyond their comfort zones? Why or
why not?

2. When Rena meets with Dr. Menoly, what clues on the page let us know that Rena is using
sarcasm? How does Dr. Menoly respond to this?

3. Aer Rena’s first meeting with Master Dysart, why do you think she is so eager to leave the
academy?

4. Master Dysart believes that Rena must decide on her own to aend the Ninja Academy. Do
you think this is true? What eventually convinces Rena to return?

5. As the reader, what are your first impressions of the Ninja Council (and Ninjas in general)
aer Rena’s first experience at the academy and Master Dysart’s meeting with the council?
What do you think Rena’s first impressions of the Ninja are? Does your impression differ from
Rena’s? Why or why not?

6. Antonia decides to ignore Rena’s imperfections during training so that Rena can “leave with
a sense of accomplishment.” Do you think this is helpful to Rena? Should Antonia have been
honest with Rena? Why or why not?

7. Dr. Menoly seems to have different goals for Rena than Rena does for herself. How are their
goals different? Whose approach do you think will benefit Rena more in the long run?

8. Why does Rena ask her mom how the A.I. is coming along even if she isn’t going to listen to
the answer?

9. How is Sidney’s perspective on life different from others? How do you think he views his
relationship with Rena? Do you think that is different than how Rena views their relationship?
Why or why not?

10. When Rena speaks to Junior for the first time, do you think she is right to trust everything
Junior says? As the reader, do you trust everything Junior says? Why or why not?

11. Did you notice any foreshadowing happening throughout the book? If so, what did you
notice? If you have finished the book, can you point to moments throughout the story that
forecast future events that you may not have noticed before?

12. How has this book expanded your way of thinking about other people’s struggles? How
will you think about other people’s day-to-day experiences in relation to hidden struggles?
Will you change your day-to-day actions and interactions with others because of this book?
 Project Ideas
Argumentative Essay: Throughout Shy Ninja, Antonia acts as one of Rena’s mentors
but remains mysterious. Rena and the reader do not know anything about Antonia’s backstory
other than the fact that she is a member of the Ninja order. For this project, write an
argumentative essay stating whether you think Rena should trust Antonia or not. In your essay,
reference specific lines of dialogue or incidents in the story that back up your argument.

Technology Debate: In Shy Ninja, the Ninja see themselves as an unseen global
influence in decay. Dysart says, “The 21st century has been unkind to the Ninja. With the A.I.,
we can hack any system, ouhink any opponent…”. Do you think an unseen force like the
Ninja has a place in modern society? What positive and negative effects might an organization
with this kind of power have on society as a whole? For this project, students should create
researched talking points and debate one another as to whether organizations like this should
exist and what their role in society should be, if any.

The Evolution of Ninjutsu: Individually, students should research the origins of Ninja
lore through a variety of classical and modern representations. In a visual presentation such as
a Poster, Prezi, or PowerPoint, students should compare and contrast how Ninjas have been
portrayed throughout history and how/why their portrayal has changed over time. How do the
story and characters in Shy Ninja draw from or contradict these various portrayals?

Social/Emotional Comics: Individually or in groups, students should work to create

a comic of their own that follows the rules of plot structure and development. In this comic,
students should highlight anxieties that they or a friend might have had, or anxieties that
they know others commonly deal with. Similar to Shy Ninja, the comic should illustrate an
unconventional way of overcoming these anxieties. Will you change your day-to-day actions
and interactions with others because of this book?
Common Core Connections
The reading of this graphic novel in combination with a thoughtful analysis through writing, presentation, or discussion
(such as the projects and discussion questions within this guide), can promote the teaching or reinforcement of the
following 5th, 6th, and 7th grade Reading: Literature Common Core standards, as well as various Writing, History/
Social Studies, and Speaking & Listening Common Core standards.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when
drawing inferences from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how
characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the
text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 - Compare and contrast two or more characters, seings, or events in a story or drama,
drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5 - Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall
structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6 - Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 - Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of
a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9 - Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on
their approaches to similar themes and topics.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1 - Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and
information.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information
clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1 - Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2 - Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular
details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 - Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as
how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5 - Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure
of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, seing, or plot.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9 - Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical
novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1 - Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2 - Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of
the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3 - Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how seing shapes the
characters or plot).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.5 - Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its
meaning.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6 - Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or
narrators in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9 - Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical
account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.
Further Pairings
• Urban Legendz (graphic novel)
• Batman Begins (film)
• Naruto (manga series)
• My Videogame Ate My Homework (graphic novel)
• The Prince and the Dressmaker (graphic novel)
• Komi Can’t Communicate (manga series)
• Guts (graphic novel)
• Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too (comic)

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