The Star Wars universe is vast, and not just because of that galaxy far, far away. These days, Star Wars fandom is a sprawling world of films, books, toys, and clothing. But if you’re a parent hoping to introduce the saga to your kids, one of the best ways to get them started down the path of the resistance is to give them a Star Wars-themed book series that puts them right in the middle of the action. That’s why my 7-year-old daughter is obsessed with the Jedi Academy books.
The books are written in a comic book style that’s similar to the wildly popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. They also include some familiar-looking characters, albeit with new names and roles. There’s a physical education teacher named Kitmum, who looks exactly like Chewbacca. RW-22 is a student advisor who could easily pass for R2-D2. And, of course, there’s T-3PO, a tutor who mirrors the droid C-3PO.
Unlike other Star Wars fare, the Jedi Academy series isn’t pointedly about Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. Take the first book in the series, which introduces Roan Novachez, a young boy living on the planet Tatooine whose dream is to attend Pilot Academy Middle School, just like his brother, father, and grandfather before him. There’s only one problem: His application gets rejected. Instead, Master Yoda invites Roan to attend Jedi Academy, a school he knows nothing about and that typically only recruits toddlers who are destined to one day become Jedi knights.
Through the Jedi Academy books, kids learn about the force, lightsabers, the dark side, and all of the other basics of the Star Wars universe. There’s a charming awkwardness to the Jedi Academy kids — one that is inherent and relatable to all kids around that age — and they deal with things that’ll be familiar to your child. Roan worries about his grades and doesn’t want to do homework, he struggles to get used to his new school, and he unwinds by drawing his own funny comics that entertain his classmates. In the end, Roan finds good friends and learns that he’s capable of more than he ever realized, which is a great lesson for little readers.
There are seven different books in the Jedi Academy series. The first three books explore Roan’s story, while the other four follow siblings Christina and Victor in the same universe. The newest book, Jedi Academy: Revenge of the Sis, focuses on new challenges for Christina, a legendary Jedi Academy graduate, who is continuing her education at another academy in a brand new city where everyone seems more advanced than she is. The pressure she feels is relatable as she struggles to fit in with her new classmates, build her skills, and master a tough apprenticeship with a real Jedi.
Meanwhile, in Jedi Academy #5: The Force Oversleeps, Victor is more worried about getting the starring role in the school musical than learning about the Force. As he’s coping with losing the role to his best friend, he’s also getting ready for his sister to graduate from Jedi Academy and leave him behind. Victor’s story is ultimately about coming to terms with change and the fact that things don’t always go as planned.
The Jedi Academy series has been a great step into the Star Wars universe for my daughter because she’s not quite ready to leap into all of the movies. While she’s seen Star Wars: A New Hope, the first movie released in the saga, many of the movies are simply too intense for her age level or feature more violence than I’m comfortable with her seeing. For now, the Jedi Academy series lets her experience some of the themes and backstories of Star Wars through characters she can really relate to.
She is also reading independently and just starting to explore the world of chapter books, so these books are compelling and exciting for her to read. They combine her interest in Star Wars and unique elements of storytelling (like drawings and journal entries) to capture her attention and make her want to read more. For parents like me, who want to raise avid book lovers and are looking for a kid-friendly way to introduce Star Wars, there isn’t much more you could ask for.
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