JEDI ACADEMY #1

Fifth grader Roan's one dream is to leave home and attend Pilot Academy, like his older brother, father, and grandfather did. But when his application is denied, it looks like he'll be stuck at the Tatooine Agricultural Academy. Then he gets an invitation from some guy named Master Yoda to attend Jedi Academy, a school that usually recruits students when they're just a few years old. Roan doesn't know exactly what Jedis do, but learning how to use a lightsaber has to be better than shoveling fertilizer, right?

This clever diary-style novel follows Roan's first year at Jedi Academy, where he learns that he possesses more strength and potential than he could have ever dreamed. Oh, and he learns other important things too—like how to speak Wookiee, slow dance with a girl, and not blow up the school with a baking-soda volcano. Award-winning cartoonist Jeffrey Brown takes readers to a school like no other in this wildly imaginative book. A page at the back gives kids ideas for creating a journal like Roan's.

Staff Review:Absolutely, a fun read. Wonderful idea to infuse all the awkwardness and frustrations of middle school, mash it together with a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"-esch style of narration, and set it in a galaxy far, far away... However, unlike Wimpy Kid, the story is actually quite sweet that you will feel compelled to root for Roan's successes as well as mishaps. Definitely one for the kids to enjoy, and parents too! Highly recommended!