Page 22 - Star Wars Insider #182

STORIES FOR YOUNGLINGS

Golden Books’ simple retellings Adam Gidwitz, followed by Beware “Let’s be honest,” he says, “the
for the youngest of readers, to the Power of the Dark Side! by Rebellion wasn’t about to hand
more complex adaptations for Tom Angleberger. this fresh-off-the-moisture-farm
older children. “The goal was to inspire a boy a valuable X-wing with no
“We’re constantly evolving as a young audience to engage with proof he could actually fl y!”
society,” says Alexandra Bracken, these stories, maybe for the fi rst
author of 2015’s The Princess, time,” Bracken recalls. “I decided Planetary Pilots and
the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy, to draw out the desires that the Wookiee Books
“and that affects how we approach audience would connect to— As well as adding new elements
storytelling. Different generations wanting to prove yourself and to existing stories, Star Wars has
have different priorities, and they make your parents proud, wanting a long history of expanding the
are bound to interpret certain to help others, and wanting to adventure beyond the movies,
aspects of these stories in different experience new places.” As well with early children’s publications
ways, or connect to different as incorporating material from such as 1979’s The Maverick Moon
themes and moments.” the 1981 National Public Radio flying entertainingly in the face of

Bracken’s book was the fi rst dramatization of Star Wars,
of three retellings of the original Bracken also added original scenes,
trilogy released prior to The Force such as Luke proving himself on a

Awakens. The series continued flight-simulator before joining Red
with: So You Want to Be a Jedi? by Squadron to attack the Death Star.

02

“Different
generations
have different 03
priorities, and

they’re bound to
interpret certain
aspects of
these stories in
different ways
or connect to

different themes
and moments.”
04

02 Alexandra Bracken
approaches the events
of A New Hope from a
new perspective.
03 Star Wars: The Empire
Strikes Back as retold
by Adam Gidwitz.
04 Tom Angleberger
brings the original
trilogy to a close with
his Star Wars: Return
of the Jedi adaptation.

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