The Phantom Bully (Star Wars Jedi Academy 3) by Jeffrey Brown
| The Phantom Bully (Star Wars Jedi Academy 3) by Jeffrey Brown | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Louise Jones
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| Summary: Roan starts his final year at Jedi Academy middle school. Can he pass his finals, or will he have to repeat a year? With a bully determined to see him fail, it won't be easy! | |
| Buy? yes | Borrow? yes |
| Pages: 176 | Date: June 2015 |
| Publisher: Scholastic Inc | |
| External links: [jeffreybrowncomics.blogspot.com Author's website] | |
| ISBN: 9780545621267 | |
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Doesn't time fly? It only seems a short time ago that Roan Novachez was starting his first term at Jedi Academy Middle School, yet here he is, all grown up and ready to start his final year. As always, there are plenty of twists and turns, teen troubles and relationship issues mixed in with the force-wielding, piloting and lightsaber battles. Bullying is still a real issue for Roan this term, as it seems that someone has made a personal mission of setting him up to fail. Everything is riding on his performance this year, as flunking out will mean being held back a year and his friends moving on without him.
I loved the first two books in the series so much that I couldn't wait for the latest one to come out and eagerly devoured the whole thing in one indulgent sitting. Although aimed at the tween market, there really is something in this book to appeal to all ages, especially older Star Wars aficionados like myself, keen to spot the 'in jokes' hidden in the text and pictures. Jedi Academy is the perfect book series for reluctant readers who don't like traditional reading books, as the comic-strip format and humorous illustrations will draw them in and keep them hooked.
Like the previous books in the series, The Phantom Bully tackles serious issues like friendships and bullying in a way that young readers will be able to relate to. In this story, Roan is constantly the victim of pranks (some of which are actually VERY funny), but the chief suspect always has a handy alibi. When the truth is finally revealed, Brown sensitively tackles the issue from the bully’s point of view, revealing the insecurities behind the behaviour. Whilst careful not to excuse the bullying, or leave the perpetrator unpunished, it is a clever way of showing that there is often a reason that bullies act the way that they do.
There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in the book and one particular section had me laughing so hard, the tears were streaming down my face and my belly hurt. I was reading the book to my kids in bed and we were all completely incapacitated for a good five minutes.
I'm so sad to see the series end and really hope that Brown will follow Roan's adventures as he continues his training. It would be such a shame for it all to end here. I need my Jedi Academy fix! Many, many thanks to the publishers for my review copy. This series should be on the to-read-list for all Star Wars fans.
To get the most out of the series, start with the excellent Star Wars Jedi Academy and its sequel Return of the Padawan.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Phantom Bully (Star Wars Jedi Academy 3) by Jeffrey Brown at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Phantom Bully (Star Wars Jedi Academy 3) by Jeffrey Brown at Amazon.com.
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