The Phantom Bully

April 15, 2015
Perhaps playing off the principle that a great ending will mitigate almost anything, this story has at least a dozen endings, and all of them are pretty spectacular. It ends with a kiss, of course. The third graphic novel in the Jedi Academy series turns out to be a love story, although it takes the characters a while to realize it. At the beginning of the school year, Roan is still in denial, muttering, "Well, sort of. I don't know if she's my GIRLFRIEND exactly." (It doesn't help that other students call Gaiana and Roan "Groan.") But by the close of this high jinks-filled year, every student at the academy gets a satisfying ending, even the bullies and troublemakers. Their End-of-the-Year Awards tell us how much they've changed, or failed to change. The honors include "Cuddliest," "Future Sith Lord," and "Most Surprising." Roan, who's training to be a pilot, is "Highest Flying." It's worth noting that this book has some of the best jokes in the series (the terrible school cook says, "Meat is vegetables, right?") and a few of the worst (an assigned book is called Charlie and the Droid Factory). Roan gets the best ending of all. It's a small panel that shows him looking out into space, thinking about home-or maybe adventures in a galaxy far, far away. Everybody's middle school years should be as ultimately satisfying as Roan's, whether they are Jedis-in-training or not. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

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June 1, 2015

Gr 5 Up-In this third installment of the series, middle school student Roan Novachez is returning to the Jedi Academy for his final year of Padawan training. This year each student gets a Jedi mentor. Like his peers, Roan has to hone his Jedi skills, perform in a class talent show, and complete a Padawan Obstacle Challenge Trial and a Jedi Labyrinth Trial. Brown illustrates this story in the form of diary entries, which include newsletter snapshots, class schedules, report cards, notes, holomail, and holobook chat discussions. VERDICT Star Wars fans will enjoy this latest volume, especially when Roan challenges bully Cronah in a lightsaber duel. Recommended.-Lisa Gieskes, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2015
Grades 3-7 It's Roan's last year at Jedi Academy, and he wants to make sure he does everything right this time. So far, things are looking rosy: he's spending a lot of time with his crush, Gaiana; he's got a great group of best friends; and he's been working really hard on all his assignments. But he's matched up with Mr. G, the toughest teacher in school, for his independent study on flight training, and he's sure Cronah is behind a series of major pranks, even though he can't manage to catch him in the act. While Roan tries to decipher Mr. G and his enigmatic Hmph and feels anxious about passing his two final assignments, he and his friends gradually discover who's behind the pranks, all while steering clear of the dark side. As usual in Brown's best-selling series, Roan's journal entries are charmingly full of comical cartoons, caricatures of his teachers, and authentically middle-school-esque musings on his worries and victories. Perfect for fans of Wimpy Kid, or any other illustrated middle-grade series, for that matter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)