Books for the Young Padawan on Star Wars Day
Tomorrow is the most wonderful day of the year—Star Wars Day! While many of us will be reading Star Wars comics, re-watching our favorite Episodes, or reading one of the many, many books about the SW galaxy, what do our young Padawans do? Some of us have kids who are too young to watch or fully appreciate the movies—but have no fear; they can still be introduced to the Jedi and the Sith, and become part of the Rebellion. Here are my favorite children’s books for Star Wars Day.
ABC-3PO by Calliope Glass, Caitlin Kennedy, and Katie Cook
This little book is beautifully illustrated, and for each letter, there’s someone or something from the SW galaxy, along with a poem. It’s probably better for toddlers than younger kids, but it’s done so well that everyone will appreciate it.
Goodnight Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown
I adore all of the books in this series, like Vader’s Little Princess, Darth Vader and Son, and Darth Vader and Friends. Adults will love the humor and appreciate the artwork, while kids will get a kick out of seeing the characters in a whole new light. I tried to get my toddler into this, but these are probably better for kids age Kindergarten and up.
Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Daring Adventures: Volume 1 by Emma Carlson Berne
Based on the micro-series on Disney’s YouTube channel, this series tells the stories of various female characters in the SW galaxy, narrated by Maz Kanata. The first volume focuses on Sabine from Rebels, Rey, and Padme Amidala. I think it’s great that the female characters have a spotlight, and for younger kids, this is a great way to bring them into the world of SW.
Star Wars ABC by Scholastic
This is a bigger board book, and fairly hard to find—I found it on a used book website, and love it. It’s a better fit for younger kids than other SW ABC books, and just has a sentence for each entry, along with a picture from a SW movie.
Star Wars: A Little Golden Book Collection
This edition collects seven books into one, including all of the movies up through The Force Awakens. (They do have a book of The Last Jedi, but it stands alone right now). This is fun to read, and retells all of the episodes in a condensed, kid-friendly way. A great introduction to the world of Star Wars, and you can check out the other books when you’re done this one, like I am a Jedi, I am a Sith, and so forth.
Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown
Written by the same author as Goodnight Darth Vader, these books are fun middle-grade books. The series follows a boy named Roan, who wants to go to Pilot Academy. When he’s not accepted, he instead gets invited to attend Jedi Academy, even though he didn’t apply. Characters new and old are woven through the series, and the illustrations and handwritten pages interspersed with comics panels will entice even the most reticent reader.
How do you share your love of Star Wars with your kids?
Looking for more bookish ways to celebrate Star Wars Day? Try A Long Time Ago in a YA Novel Far, Far Away…, A Beginner’s Guide to Star Wars Comics, and all of our Star Wars discussions.
