Just before his 13th birthday, Obi-Wan Kenobi left Yoda and the other teachers at the Jedi Temple. But he wasn t supposed to become a Padawan, a future Jedi Knight, he was assigned to be a farmer! Jedi Apprentice: The Rising Force joins the headstrong Obi-Wan a few weeks before he s to turn 13, when he ll be too old to begin training as a Jedi Knight. Trying too hard to become Qui-Gon Jinn s Padawan, Obi-Wan shows his lack of discipline, and that--in addition to Qui-Gon s mysterious past--keeps them apart. But the Force keeps pulling the two together: Obi-Wan resigns himself to the Jedi Agricultural Corps on barren Bandomeer, only to find that Qui-Gon is on a mission to the same planet. Traveling there on a mining ship, the two must work together to forge a truce between the warring Hutt, Whiphid, and Arconan miners on board. The inexperienced Obi-Wan stirs up trouble but gets plenty of chances to redeem himself later--after the pirates attack and after the ship crash-lands on a hostile planet with the crew still at each other s throats. Experienced Star Wars author Dave Wolverton keeps the blasters firing and the lightsabers swinging in this fun, fast-paced adventure. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes