STAR WARS: Luke Skywalker's Amazing Story <small> by Simon Beecroft</small>

Looking for a practice reader for the Star Wars fan in your life? Then look no further than this DK selection.

Written at the 2nd Grade level -- AR 2.3 -- Luke Skywalker's Amazing Story covers Luke's life from Tatooine, to the point where his father abandons the Dark Side to become just a dad again.

Since the book is only 32 pages long, the emphasis in on images from the movies that remind children, who have seen the series, what occurred. In addition, there is the simple text that summarizes Luke's adventure.

Here, for example, is what the book says on the two pages about Yoda.

Yoda.

Yoda is a Jedi. He lives in a swamp.

Yoda trains Luke to be a Jedi.
Luke realizes it is time to meet...

Now on the next page this implicit question is answered. And the break in the text "..." is one of the literary devices that Simon Beecroft uses to involve children in what they are reading. (The answer is his father, Darth Vader.)

Talking Points:::
I liked this DK practice reader and think it's going to be almost universally popular with it's target market. Certainly my two kids (boy and girl, currently 7 and 9) starting fighting over the book as soon as they spotted it --and they both read well above the 2nd grade level.

The photos are large; usually covering most of the page.

Included are pictures of Luke, Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen (no they aren't shown as deceased), C-3PO AND R2D2, Obi-Wan, young Anakin, old Anakin (Darth Vader), Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Yoda and the Death Star.

Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs