Kari Thompson: Enter the Shadow

Twelve-year-old Kari Thompson is a born shinobi--a ninja. At thirteen she will inherit superhuman abilities, and magical potential, before attending a special school for training. She refuses to go. When Kari receives a cryptic text message from her missing brother, she changes her mind. After venturing into the secret world, she finds more than she expects when a trip to nearby forest goes awry. In the forest, Kari and her friends find a dying kitsune, whose star orbs have been taken. If they are not recovered, he will die. It's a race against time as Kari and her tight-knit group of friends struggle to find the star orbs, attend classes, and stay off the radar of a teacher who might be trying to kill them. Kari's skills are limited, but help comes from strange places. If she can learn to trust the right people, she may be able to save a few lives (including her own), and survive her first year at school.