The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Samurai Warrior

by Tim Collins

Meet Suki—a fourteen-year-old girl in sixteenth-century Japan. All she wants is to become a samurai warrior like her father and brother. But all her training attempts end in disaster. Yet when bandits threaten her village while the men are away at war, Suki is the only one left to stop them. Will she be able to save her village and prove herself a legendary samurai?

The hilarious Long-Lost Secret Diary series puts readers inside the heads of unlucky people in unfortunate situations. The accessible, irreverent stories will keep young readers laughing as they learn the importance of not being afraid to learn from their mistakes. Get Real fact boxes featured throughout, as well as a glossary and additional back matter, provide historical context and background.

Paperback

Published May 28, 2020

Reviews

[Rebecca R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suki Akiyama is definitely not the world’s worst samurai, though she is not the best either. (The title of this book confused me until realised it was part of a 'Secret Diary of the World’s Worst…' series.) Suki is smart, ambitious and convinced it is her destiny to be a samurai like her father and her brother, despite the fact that she is a girl. She is also over-confident about her own abilities, lacking in discipline and, after she makes some silly mistakes, she gets sent home from samurai school in disgrace. When her father and brother leave to fight in a battle, their village is left unprotected, and some opportunistic bandits scope them out. Suki must rally the women and children to defend their homes from the bandits and prove that she is worthy to be a samurai.

It’s an interesting series concept. The fictional main character gives children an entertaining and relatable insight into living in a particular period, while the ‘Get Real’ inserts present interesting historical facts to add depth to the story. The book was lots of fun, though perhaps not quite as funny as I was hoping for, the samurai facts were fascinating—particularly about female samurai warriors in history, and Suki was an inspiring protagonist.

[Judy Wollin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a fun read that tells the story of Samurai in Japan through the aspirations and actions of 14-year-old Suki Akiyama. The inclusion of non-fiction material about samurais gives the book another point of interest and gives the main character more credibility. The illustrations help convey the story, adding a humorous element.
Young Suki is determined to be a samurai like her father and younger brother. She knows she will make a great and fearsome warrior. After wrecking a wall practising her sword skills her father arranges for her to be trained as a samurai for 50 days.
The training ends badly with Suki failing most tests set by the master. She is sent home when her father and brother are called to war to defend their daimyo. The only people in the village are women, young children, and the elderly. Suki finds bandits spying on the village. Suki tells the villagers she is a trained samurai and will teach them to defend the village from the bandits. How does this work out for Suki and the village?
Recommended for readers 8 years and older.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Includes 'get real' snippets with information about samurai and Japanese culture linked with the narrative.

A nice jaunt, with classic feel-good moral takeaway.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I love a good tale of a girl who has big ambitions. This was smart and charming. Love learning so much in this series of books!