1: A bombad mini-biography of Darth Vader
The release of Star Wars books for young people has always been related to a theatrical promotion. In a world that has a seen all six films, a new wave of DK Readers is much appreciated. It gives us comfort that even though the movies are finished, the Star Wars experience isn't completely 'done.' As the title suggests, "The Story of Darth Vader" is a biography of Darth Vader. The first half of the book is spent on Anakin Skywalker. It looks at his life as a slave on Tatooine and his fateful meeting with Qui-Gon Jinn. Next, Anakin's apprenticeship with Obi-Wan Kenobi is explored. The Clone Wars would prove to be an important event for both the galaxy and young Skywalker. As expected, time is spent on Anakin's relationship to Padme Amidala and Chancellor Palpatine. Once Anakin turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader, his role in the new Empire is explained. A good deal of time is spent on Vader's relationship with his children. In particular, Luke Skywalker serves as being instrumental in Anakin's redemption. From the cradle to the grave, this book shows how a slave boy transformed into one of the most iconoclastic images of evil. Most pages include a text box that shares a tid-bit of related trivia. The scope includes the entire saga. The illustrations were lifted from all six films. While the pictures are high quality, the writing is also good. This new series has books for most levels of elementary readers. While most topics don't feature more than five sentences, the vocabulary runs high, so this title is best suited to readers on a fourth or fifth grade level. Those young readers who are ready for chapter books should pass this by altogether and make the plunge into "The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader." For those in that transitional zone between picture and chapter books, "The Story of Darth Vader" is a high interest read that offers an exciting biography of the galaxy's most feared villain.
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