The Phantom Menace (Star Wars Episode I)

Much-loved YA author Patricia Wrede (Dealing with Dragons, Calling on Dragons) retells here the storyline of Episode I, The Phantom Menace from opening shot to final scene. Since much of the action in Phantom Menace centers on 14-year-old Queen Amidala and 9-year-old Jedi-to-be Anakin Skywalker, Wrede takes the opportunity to focus on the thoughts and struggles of these two scrappy youngsters. And young Star Wars fans will appreciate that Wrede's adaptation is faithful to the screenplay--the events and dialogue mesh seamlessly with memories from the movie, only complementing the action with added details and inner dialogue. (We all knew what Anakin was thinking when he rolled his eyes at Qui-Gon's mollycoddling, but this book confirms our suspicions as Anakin groans to himself, "Grown-ups!") An inset section with 28 color stills from the movie adds a nice visual touch to a well-told story. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes