Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Books in Order

Adam Gidwitz’s So You Want to Be a Jedi? is a middle-grade retelling of The Empire Strikes Back. Rather than simply recounting the film from a distance, the book invites the reader to step into Luke Skywalker’s place and imagine the story as a Jedi-in-training.

That choice gives this familiar chapter of the Star Wars saga a playful twist. The narrator speaks directly to the reader, explains that becoming a Jedi is difficult work, and pauses the action for small training exercises. The result is part space adventure, part interactive guide, and part retelling for readers who want to experience the story from inside Luke’s uncertain point of view.

The main story picks up with the Rebel Alliance under pressure from Darth Vader and the Empire. After the Rebels are forced to flee their base, Luke follows a message that leads him to the swampy planet Dagobah. There he meets Yoda and begins the frustrating work of learning patience, focus, and the Force.

Meanwhile, Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 try to stay ahead of the Imperial pursuit. Their route takes them through dangerous space, uncertain alliances, and a trap designed to draw Luke into a confrontation before he is ready. The book shifts between Luke’s training and the group’s escape, so the stakes keep building even when a Jedi lesson slows the pace.

It is a story about courage, but it is also about how easy it is to rush ahead when someone you care about is in danger.

Gidwitz’s version keeps the action, banter, lightsabers, starfighters, and strange creatures that make the film memorable. It also leans into Luke’s doubts, which makes the Jedi training feel less like a set of superpowers and more like a difficult discipline. Young readers who know the movie can enjoy spotting the major moments, while newcomers get a clear path into one of Star Wars’ central stories.

This is a standalone entry, so there is no prior reading required. Start with So You Want to Be a Jedi? if you want a direct, reader-involved way to revisit the events of The Empire Strikes Back.