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Are You Scared, Darth Vader?


Are you Scared, Darth Vader? 
by Adam Rex

Los Angeles : Disney/Lucasfilm Press, 2018. ©2018



This is a book staring Darth Vader and a child who keeps trying to scare him by introducing many different scary things to him. It turns out that Vader isn't scared of vampires, spiders, or ghosts (even if they look like Yoda). He's not even scared of a horde of children, although it does displease him. Eventually we find out that he's only scared of one thing - being trapped in this book when you finally close it. Despite his threats, the book must end, and Vader gives his final response on the very last page. 

Another humorous book by Adam Rex, this one is fun for kids of all ages, especially fans of Star Wars. With perfectly timed jokes and fun movie references, this is one worth returning to again and again.

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