factolvictor's review against another edition
3.0
It's a Y/A book written for second graders, which is a nice initiative and a nice way to introduce the Star Wars classic trilogy to the new generations.
nhayner's review against another edition
2.0
The second person was weird and overall this book was just not as good as the other two books in this series. Perhaps I’ll change my rating. when I’m not about to pass out from Benadryl lmao
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
May the 4th Be With You!
This gem by Adam Gidwitz is written entirely in 2nd person POV! I did a little dance when I discovered it.
As an ELA teacher, I used it and other Star Wars Choose Your Destiny and Choose Your Adventure books to help my students review and identify 2nd POV in literature.
You need a few of these books for your shelves, as your students will find plenty of other examples of 1st and 3rd POVs in most middle grade books.
And with the release of the last episode of Clone Wars (we all cried!), they're timely, as well.
For the super-simple, super-fun lesson plan and ideas on using it via distance learning, visit my blog: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/blog/may-the-4th-be-with-you-using-star-wars-to-identify-2nd-pov
This gem by Adam Gidwitz is written entirely in 2nd person POV! I did a little dance when I discovered it.
As an ELA teacher, I used it and other Star Wars Choose Your Destiny and Choose Your Adventure books to help my students review and identify 2nd POV in literature.
You need a few of these books for your shelves, as your students will find plenty of other examples of 1st and 3rd POVs in most middle grade books.
And with the release of the last episode of Clone Wars (we all cried!), they're timely, as well.
For the super-simple, super-fun lesson plan and ideas on using it via distance learning, visit my blog: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/blog/may-the-4th-be-with-you-using-star-wars-to-identify-2nd-pov
carolyndeas's review against another edition
4.0
Do you want to be a Jedi!
I totally do so I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. Obviously it tells the Star Wars story "The Empire Strikes Back" but just like the first book in this series, it's all about perspective.
The author, Adam Gidwitz, prepares you in the preface by getting you in the mindset of a Jedi. He's not just telling you a story. He's walking you through your story! In this book, you are Luke Skywalker, young Padawan, training with Yoda and fighting the Empire.
What I loved most about this book is the way in which it's told. Not only are you the hero, but between every chapter, there's an activity for you to do to work on your Jedi training. It starts off with easy tasks like trying to meditate (I mean really meditate) for as long as you can while counting to ten. Focus on the numbers and nothing but the numbers.
I tried it. It's super hard.
As the story progresses, so do your challenges. Focus on balancing on one leg while someone throws something at you.
Scatter things all over your room and then walk through with your eyes closed feeling the objects at your feet and not actually touching them.
Also like the first book in the series, it also spells out names that you (or me at least) can never remember or pronounce.
Yesterday I started the last book of this series and I can't wait to share my thoughts on that one with you!
I totally do so I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. Obviously it tells the Star Wars story "The Empire Strikes Back" but just like the first book in this series, it's all about perspective.
The author, Adam Gidwitz, prepares you in the preface by getting you in the mindset of a Jedi. He's not just telling you a story. He's walking you through your story! In this book, you are Luke Skywalker, young Padawan, training with Yoda and fighting the Empire.
What I loved most about this book is the way in which it's told. Not only are you the hero, but between every chapter, there's an activity for you to do to work on your Jedi training. It starts off with easy tasks like trying to meditate (I mean really meditate) for as long as you can while counting to ten. Focus on the numbers and nothing but the numbers.
I tried it. It's super hard.
As the story progresses, so do your challenges. Focus on balancing on one leg while someone throws something at you.
Scatter things all over your room and then walk through with your eyes closed feeling the objects at your feet and not actually touching them.
Also like the first book in the series, it also spells out names that you (or me at least) can never remember or pronounce.
Yesterday I started the last book of this series and I can't wait to share my thoughts on that one with you!
buuboobaby's review against another edition
1.0
This is a great big DNF. What a huge disappointment. My favorite of the original Star Wars movies, and I couldn't even struggle through this painful novelization. Second person POV is an awkward, off-putting narrative style, and it did not work for me. I can't think of an instance that it has EVER worked for me. If you are looking for the magic of the movie, keep right on going, because you aren't going to find it here.
inhonoredglory's review against another edition
2.0
Of all the new Disney middle-grade retelling of the Star Wars trilogy, this one is the worst (with [b:Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!|21947311|Return of the Jedi Beware the Power of the Dark Side! (Star Wars Episode VI)|Tom Angleberger|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436154397s/21947311.jpg|41252282] leading my a mile and [b:A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy|21947304|A New Hope The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy (Star Wars Episode IV)|Alexandra Bracken|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1433535272s/21947304.jpg|41252272] coming in a close second]. I know it's written for a younger audience, but some of the dumbing down was just too much. Potty jokes and such. Lost a lot of the motivations and beautiful complexities that were in the original. (The little Jedi lessons were fun though and I enjoyed them. I can see how a kid would really love them.)
I think the first red flag was the opening author's note, which told us Luke is an empty character, who we're supposed to fill with ourselves. Um... that's completely wrong. Luke is a very definite person who (yeah) we're supposed to see ourselves in, but not completely void of personality like Gidwitz believes. It's the reason he wrote it in second person, and the reason I can't really trust him with Star Wars henceforth. He doesn't feel like the fan that both Alexandra Bracken and Tom Angleberger are. His author's notes talk about the fairytale quality of Star Wars and I wish I felt that in his book, because boy would it be fun to take a deft, enchanted, but Grimms-dark journey through Empire Strikes Back. Instead of the weird trying-to-be-a-cool-bedtime-story retelling we got here.
I think the first red flag was the opening author's note, which told us Luke is an empty character, who we're supposed to fill with ourselves. Um... that's completely wrong. Luke is a very definite person who (yeah) we're supposed to see ourselves in, but not completely void of personality like Gidwitz believes. It's the reason he wrote it in second person, and the reason I can't really trust him with Star Wars henceforth. He doesn't feel like the fan that both Alexandra Bracken and Tom Angleberger are. His author's notes talk about the fairytale quality of Star Wars and I wish I felt that in his book, because boy would it be fun to take a deft, enchanted, but Grimms-dark journey through Empire Strikes Back. Instead of the weird trying-to-be-a-cool-bedtime-story retelling we got here.
killeroinen's review against another edition
2.0
Clearly for kids and written on second person. Also skipped the Han and Leia romance with something like "romance is weird let's not dwell on it".
Those are the flaws but otherwise nice. Fast read and pictures are really cool. Descriptions were sometimes amusing, sometimes too silly.
Those are the flaws but otherwise nice. Fast read and pictures are really cool. Descriptions were sometimes amusing, sometimes too silly.
rey's review against another edition
3.0
the idea of being luke skywalker or a student of force in general is actually fun, but this wasn’t the right book for that.