July at the Mt. Lebanon Library heralds the return of our annual Star Wars Day! You can register for Jedi Mindfulness Training (and basic lightsaber stances) here, and our official page of DIY activities and resources will drop on Thursday, July 16^th . In the meanwhile, here’s a list of awesome Star Wars reads for fans of all ages!

Star Wars Epic Yarns: A New Hope by Jack Wang
The Star Wars Epic Yarns series presents the original trilogy in board book format, with each movie boiled down to a handful of iconic scenes and simple, baby-friendly verbs. What really makes these books stunning are the intricate-yet-cuddly needle-felted dolls used to stage each scene. Adults will appreciate the artistry, while young children will appreciate the clear shapes, recognizable characters, and not-too-scary styling. For kids age 1+.

Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex
In this playful, fourth-wall breaking picture book, Darth Vader argues with the narrator, insisting that he is not afraid of anything, not werewolves, ghosts, vampires, and definitely not children. Makes a wonderful family read-aloud, especially if Mom or Dad has a good Vader voice. For kids age 4+

Jedi Academy: Attack of the Furball by Jarrett Krosoczka and Amy Ignatow
The newest in a series of hybrid part-comic-part-journal style books (think Diary of a Wimpy Kid) that reimagines Jedi training as a lighthearted elementary school. The current arc features writing by Lunchlady author Jarrett Krosoczka and Amy Ignatow of Popularity Papers fame—a surefire recipe for comedy! For kids age 7+

So You Want To Be A Jedi by Adam Gidwitz
The middle book in a series of retellings of the original trilogy by well known children’s authors (also check out The Princess, The Scoundrel, And The Farm Boy and Beware the Power of the Sith), So You Want To Be A Jedi is my personal favorite. Adam Gidwitz chooses to tell the story in a conversational, second-person narrative voice, placing the reader directly in the place of Luke Skywalker. The story is also interspersed with beautifully drawn concept art from the original movies and fun Jedi training exercises—which, yes, serve as the inspiration for this Thursday’s Jedi Training Academy! For kids age 11+

Short and Skinny by Mark Tatulli
For fans of funny coming of age graphic novels like Smile and El Deafo, Short and Skinny tells the true story of the summer that Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope first hit theaters—and inspired budding cartoonist Mark to throw himself into the creation of a parody film of his own, starring himself, his friends, and siblings. For kids age 11+

Need more Star Wars reads? Want to let us know what you think? Email us at childrenslibrary@einetwork.net. Happy reading, and may the Force be with you!
 

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