Library Intern Book Reviews
Publisher
Disney Lucasfilm Press
City
Glendale, California, United States of America
Date of Publication
2018
ISBN
978-1484704974
Date of Review
2020
Disciplines
Library and Information Science | Modern Literature
Keywords
Children's literature, reviews, Darth Vader, fear, Star Wars
Recommended Citation
Phillips, Taylor R., "Review of Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex" (2020). Library Intern Book Reviews. 243.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/243
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Review
Summary: Are You Scared, Darth Vader takes one of the most recognized movie villains in the world and asks him a simple question, “Are you scared?” This silly story follows the narrator and a bunch of kids as they try to discover Darth Vader’s weakness. No matter what they present him with, he always stubbornly answers says that he is not scared of anything. Finally as you reach the final pages the narrator tells Darth Vader that he should be scared of one thing. He should be scared of You, the reader! You have the power to turn the page and trap Darth Vader inside the book, which is sort of like being frozen in carbonite! Vader pleads with you to join him on the dark side and finally admits that maybe he is scared of something after all.
Comments: With a striking black and yellow color scheme and lots of funny scenes, this hilarious book is fun to read. By breaking the fourth wall this book includes the reader as an active participant which can be a novel concept for many kids. Despite a lack of explicit didactic content, this book still has lots of value as the recognizable character of Darth Vader and the inclusive nature of the story can encourage children to read when they otherwise wouldn’t. Parents and teachers can use this book to teach children about the different genres of books and stories that are written as well as introduce them to the idea of “breaking the fourth wall”. However, this kind of abstract thinking may be too difficult for young children to grasp so its usefulness as a teaching tool is limited.
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Taylor Phillips, Centennial Library Graduate School Intern