I don’t know if they had STEAM education in a galaxy far, far away. It seems unlikely, considering a majority of the population is, as has been observed by a fair few fans and critics, functionally illiterate. (Did Luke fail to read those sacred texts because they were boring, or was it, perhaps, because he couldn’t.) Of course here, in our galaxy, STEAM (science, technology, engineering/design, arts, and math) is the platform upon which curricula are planned in the hopes of giving students a well-rounded education.

It sounds a little dry, I know. But it doesn’t have to be. Insight Editions, for example, has made STEAM a ton of fun by applying its principles to several of its new Star Wars books. Allow me to explain.

Behold the Star Wars Owners’ Workshop Manuals.

by Ryder Mindham, Chris Reiff, and Chris Trevas (Insight, 2018)

Does all of the technology needed to make a TIE Fighter or a Corellian YT-1300 Freighter exist? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean someone with a penchant for tech and engineering can’t extrapolate from what we do know to make a viable guess. Hyperspace is a lot of handwaving, sure, but what about the design of the ships themselves?

Want to learn how to read a blueprint? Understand how a cutaway is different from a basic floor plan? Learn which lever does what? Learn the difference between types of sensors and why you might prefer one over another in a given situation? If you have any interest in constructing space-faring vehicles, be they for artistic or scientific purposes, you’ll need to know – and both manuals present the concepts in a straightforward, instructive manner while still allowing the reader to play in the Star Wars universe.

You have to know how ships are going to fit together if you want yours to dock with the International Space Station one day. Plan on using your ship for recon? You’ll have to be able to look at a size chart and figure out crew size versus what you can practically hide from whomever it is you’re spying on.

The TIE Fighter manual builds on all of these skills to discuss the aerodynamics of ships intended to fly both in atmosphere and in space, why wing position and shape matters in such cases, why bombers must have different designs than fighters, why certain combat tactics are more effective with TIEs than with X-Wings, why TIEs can hang in racks when X-Wings have to land, and why TIE pilot gear changed between the original trilogy and The Force Awakens. (It has to do with with interior space and life-support systems.)

Though there’s been a lot of debate over the years about which genre Star Wars fits into (my two cents: space fantasy or space opera) a non sci-fi designation doesn’t mean mean they’ve completely taken the science and engineering out of the fiction. And since most folx seem to learn better when that science and engineering is applied to something they love, well, there’s no better gift for the budding scientist, engineer, or technophile in your life than the TIE Fighter Owner’s Worship Manual and the YT-1300 Millennium Falcon Owners’ Manual.

Photo by S.W. Sondheimer Seven year old for scale

Star Wars: The Ultimate Pop-Up Galaxy is a surprisingly complex book in a number of ways. First, it folds out into a 37″ by 44″ diorama, which someone had to figure out how to make viable (engineering, arts, math) and, simultaneously, make the pop-ups work. Second, the art is stunning and so minutely detailed, I’m not sure how they managed to make it all visible when printed. Z particularly liked the bits she could move with tabs and hinges and opening the sidebar info panels to reveal additional pop ups hidden inside. Since her brother is full of random facts these days, she also liked learning the minutiae of the galaxy on these same panels, allowing her to build her own store of knowledge to bust out at will.

I would offer a couple words of caution on this one: pop-up books are usually billed as good gifts and excellent distractions for small children. Not to say you can’t give an itty-bitty this one but, if you do, I wouldn’t expect it to last long. The pop ups and flaps are pretty delicate, and I’d have concerns that my 18-month-old nephews would do some significant, if unintended, damage pretty quickly. Getting wet, also a hazard with the tinies, could also spoil structural integrity.

But not to fear! The Ultimate Pop-Up Galaxy is a rare example of its breed in that it will captivate school-age kiddos: there’s reading, exploration, and – according to my husband, who built the diorama – some challenging engineering. Also, no lie, adults love pop ups, too.

Photo and hand by S.W. Sondheimer

The girl’s review on Star Wars: The Complete Marvel Covers, Vol. 1 and Star Wars: The Concept Art of Ralph McQcarrie is: “I love them! They’re so tiny and cute!” They are, indeed, both of those things.

It may seem silly to people who have never bought art books, but these two little volumes are also kind of revolutionary: art books are generally massive, heavy, expensive things you don’t want to travel with or take to a research spot because they are massive, heavy, and expensive. The Complete Marvel Covers and The Concept Art of Ralph McQuarrie are both eminently portable and weigh almost nothing, which means easy transport for reference on the go. (Listen, I write about Star Wars a lot and sometimes I actually do need that original Chewie sketch so I can compare it to Zeb and no, I’m not kidding.)

It’s also really important for budding artists to see the stages design goes through before it’s finalized and to understand that, even then, it can continue to evolve. McQuarrie, one of the foremost concept artists of our age, didn’t always get it on the first try – and no one expected him to. No one expects you to be able to do it, either.

And the the Star Wars comic covers? Those have gone through some evolutions too, including variants, all of which are listed in that tiny tome. Knowing where we came from, how we got where we are, and what we still need to work on in terms of comic art is the best way to continue moving forward in terms of technique and representation.

Photo and hand by S.W. Sondheimer

Plus, if you ever need a party trick, some of those early Star Wars/Marvel covers are definitely… things that exist and need to be discussed.

And hey, if your kids are reluctant learners, slip them one of these and they may not even realize they’re getting an education. It’s like putting zucchini into cookies: they won’t notice, but if you can keep them from finding out long enough, they’ll thank you for making sure they got to learn while exploring their own fandom.