I know, it’s a kids book, but I am up to my eyes in multi
ple grown up books that I haven’t quite finished so I can review them. So instead you get the book I read to my kiddo. Kiddo is a HUGE Star Wars fan and his back neighbor friends gave him Jeffrey Brown’s Star Wars: Jedi Academy for his birthday. We read this so fast. And to be honest, (I can’t believe I am admitting this in public), when my husband would read to my son at night I would grab the book after so I could go back and catch up on what I missed before I read on to kiddo. LOL
Done in half cartoon and half personal diary, with a smidge of other printed materials, Jedi Academy tells the story of Roan who wants nothing more in his life than to get into the Pilot Academy like his older brother, so he can be a pilot like his Dad. He is crushed when he doesn’t get in, visions of Farming Academy give him nightmares. Instead he gets a letter advising him of his admittance to the Jedi Academy. Given the choice, he goes to be a Jedi but he is not happy about it.
Brown really blends the usual trauma of being a child and getting through school with the unusual additives of constructing a light saber, learning to use the force, mandalorian poetry, etc. It’s adorable. It really is. It would be a quick read for an adult; a beach read or Sunday afternoon by the pool read. I can’t wait to get my hands on more of Jeffrey Brown’s books, to read to my son of course. wink wink nudge nudge.
T.A. Henry 