Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown
Sep. 28th, 2013 11:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
My whole life I planned on going to pilot school like the rest of my friends – but I didn’t get in! Then a little green guy named Yoda invited me to Jedi Academy. Now I’m at a school with aliens, robots and lightsaber-wielding bullies who can lift things with their minds! How am I supposed to compete with that? As if starting a new school isn’t hard enough …
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away 10 year-old Roan Novachez lives on the desert planet of Tattooine with his mum and younger brother Ollie. Roan dreams of being a pilot like his dad and joining his older brother Davin at Pilot Academy but his application is rejected, even though all of his friends get in. Crushed, he thinks he’ll have to go to boring Plant Academy on Tatooine when he gets a letter from Master Yoda at the Jedi Academy on Coruscant, offering him a place as a Padawan, even though Roan’s a lot older than the normal Jedi training age.
But life as a padawan isn’t easy. His teachers are weird (especially Master Yoda, who talks funny) and he’s bullied by his classmates Cronah and Cyrus because he can’t use the Force to even lift a book. It’s a struggle for Roan to get through the year and even though the lightsabers are cool, he still really wishes that he was at Pilot Academy …
Jeffrey Brown’s licenced Star Wars graphic novel is a cute spin off set 200 years before Star Wars and perfect for readers aged 8+. Told in a mix of journal entries and comic panels, Roan’s a sweet natured protagonist, very creative but uncertain about his Jedi abilities and concerned by his inability to make friends. I could have done without the budding romance with Gaiana but his friendship with Pasha is well depicted and I absolutely loved Yoda and the Wookie P.E. teacher Kitmum. There are some in jokes for older Star Wars fans and the Ewok Pilot comic strip will entertain younger readers. All in all, it’s a charming read and I’d love to read the next one.
My favourite bits of the book are Roan’s interactions with Yoda but his home life is also good fun, with younger brother Ollie being sweet rather than irritating and his mum having a wry, practical view to having him about the house. It is a slim read and one that older kids will probably get through quickly, but it’s entertaining and the illustrations are great. Given all the tie-in tat out there these days, this book’s a keeper and I’ll definitely be reading on.
The Verdict:
Jeffrey Brown’s licenced Star Wars graphic novel is a cute spin off set 200 years before Star Wars and perfect for readers aged 8+. Told in a mix of journal entries and comic panels, Roan’s a sweet natured protagonist, very creative but uncertain about his Jedi abilities and concerned by his inability to make friends. I could have done without the budding romance with Gaiana but his friendship with Pasha is well depicted and I absolutely loved Yoda and the Wookie P.E. teacher Kitmum. There are some in jokes for older Star Wars fans and the Ewok Pilot comic strip will entertain younger readers. All in all, it’s a charming read and I’d love to read the next one.
STAR WARS: JEDI ACADEMY was released in the United Kingdom on 5th September 2013. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.
My whole life I planned on going to pilot school like the rest of my friends – but I didn’t get in! Then a little green guy named Yoda invited me to Jedi Academy. Now I’m at a school with aliens, robots and lightsaber-wielding bullies who can lift things with their minds! How am I supposed to compete with that? As if starting a new school isn’t hard enough …
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away 10 year-old Roan Novachez lives on the desert planet of Tattooine with his mum and younger brother Ollie. Roan dreams of being a pilot like his dad and joining his older brother Davin at Pilot Academy but his application is rejected, even though all of his friends get in. Crushed, he thinks he’ll have to go to boring Plant Academy on Tatooine when he gets a letter from Master Yoda at the Jedi Academy on Coruscant, offering him a place as a Padawan, even though Roan’s a lot older than the normal Jedi training age.
But life as a padawan isn’t easy. His teachers are weird (especially Master Yoda, who talks funny) and he’s bullied by his classmates Cronah and Cyrus because he can’t use the Force to even lift a book. It’s a struggle for Roan to get through the year and even though the lightsabers are cool, he still really wishes that he was at Pilot Academy …
Jeffrey Brown’s licenced Star Wars graphic novel is a cute spin off set 200 years before Star Wars and perfect for readers aged 8+. Told in a mix of journal entries and comic panels, Roan’s a sweet natured protagonist, very creative but uncertain about his Jedi abilities and concerned by his inability to make friends. I could have done without the budding romance with Gaiana but his friendship with Pasha is well depicted and I absolutely loved Yoda and the Wookie P.E. teacher Kitmum. There are some in jokes for older Star Wars fans and the Ewok Pilot comic strip will entertain younger readers. All in all, it’s a charming read and I’d love to read the next one.
My favourite bits of the book are Roan’s interactions with Yoda but his home life is also good fun, with younger brother Ollie being sweet rather than irritating and his mum having a wry, practical view to having him about the house. It is a slim read and one that older kids will probably get through quickly, but it’s entertaining and the illustrations are great. Given all the tie-in tat out there these days, this book’s a keeper and I’ll definitely be reading on.
The Verdict:
Jeffrey Brown’s licenced Star Wars graphic novel is a cute spin off set 200 years before Star Wars and perfect for readers aged 8+. Told in a mix of journal entries and comic panels, Roan’s a sweet natured protagonist, very creative but uncertain about his Jedi abilities and concerned by his inability to make friends. I could have done without the budding romance with Gaiana but his friendship with Pasha is well depicted and I absolutely loved Yoda and the Wookie P.E. teacher Kitmum. There are some in jokes for older Star Wars fans and the Ewok Pilot comic strip will entertain younger readers. All in all, it’s a charming read and I’d love to read the next one.
STAR WARS: JEDI ACADEMY was released in the United Kingdom on 5th September 2013. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.
