Star Wars: Jedi Academy Author: Visit Amazon's Jeffrey Brown Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0545505178 | Format: PDF
Star Wars: Jedi Academy Description
From School Library Journal
Gr 3–8—Roan Novachez has been personally invited by Yoda to attend Jedi Academy, but he's afraid that he'll flunk out and have to attend the Agriculture Academy on Tatooine next year. This Diary of a Wimpy Kid-like graphic novel follows Roan's adventures from the summer after elementary school through his first year at the academy as he makes friends (and enemies) and struggles to learn how to use the Force. Interspersed throughout the panels depicting events referred to in the diary are other items of interest, such as the boy's schedule and report card. The book's style matched with the popular subject will guarantee circulation in any collection. With the exception of Yoda, Brown has created an entirely new cast of characters set in the Star Wars universe around the events of The Phantom Menace. While it might be disappointing for those familiar with this world to see scant representation of beloved characters, it makes the book an easy starting point for new fans. There are plenty of references to other elements (the T-16 Skyhopper and Jedi training remotes, for example) for diehards to get excited about. Brown combines Star Wars excitement with real-life kid problems to make a fresh, inspiring, and humorous take on the franchise.—J. M. Poole, Webster Public Library, NY
From Booklist
*Starred Review* A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Roan Novachez thought he was destined to attend Pilot Academy Middle School, just as his older brother and father did. His dreams are crushed when he is rejected by Pilot Academy and accepted into a sketchy new school called Coruscant Jedi Academy. Roan has no idea what to expect at the academy and feels pressured after learning he is the oldest student ever to enroll there. Confused and struggling to keep up, Roan tries to fly under the radar and passes the time drawing comics of his daily life at his strange boarding school. This fantastic chapter book by Brown will satisfy those who loved his previous Star Wars works, Darth Vader and Son (2012) and Vader’s Little Princess (2013). With its mix of comics and text, it will also appeal to fans of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants hybrid books. On a deeper level, this book tackles serious issues like failure, bullying, friendship, determination, and starting a new school in a fun and funny way. Perhaps best of all, it encourages readers to practice creativity and to start their own journals. Grades 3-7. --Candice Mack
See all Editorial Reviews
- Age Range: 8 - 12 years
- Grade Level: 3 - 7
- Series: Star Wars
- Hardcover: 160 pages
- Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (August 27, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0545505178
- ISBN-13: 978-0545505178
- Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Think of this as a sort of graphic-chapter-book, and I mean that in a very good way.
Mr. Brown has taken practically every important aspect of the Star Wars canon, written it in a style that would be interesting for and accessible to an early reader, illustrated it with very clever and apt illustrations, and wrapped it all up as a "school days" adventure that features a realistic and engaging hero.
Roan is crushed when he is denied admission to Star Pilot Academy, and then confused and intimidated when he later receives an invitation to attend the more prestigious but less well known Jedi Academy. The other students at the Academy were tapped when they were much younger, so Roan has to adjust as the new kid and the latecomer. The story embraces all of the conventions of middle school fiction - Roan makes friends and enemies, encounters bullies, has some scary teachers and some teachers he really likes, deals with homesickness and adjusting to school. There is some budding romance. There are some intrigues, and lots of school based events, (a dance, a light saber tournament, a science fair, field trips, an election).
The genius here is that everything is based on Star Wars. Yoda is basically the headmaster of the Academy. The teachers are characters from the various movies. Field trips are to the sites of Star Wars episodes. Students all come from worlds whose names you recognize. Our hero, Roan, is from Tatooine and is basically a stand-in for a Luke Skywalker type character. There are lots of inside jokes and references, so that you have both an engaging story that is open to a Star Wars newbie and an immersive and sly Star Wars compendium for really rabid fans.
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