The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett

August 15, 2013
Dark times have descended on McQuarrie Middle School, and a rebel alliance is born.... The seventh-graders of MMS have little time to celebrate Dwight and Origami Yoda's return from Tippett Academy before Principal Rabbski holds a special assembly to announce that since the school's standardized test scores were so low, new classes for all students will begin immediately. FunTime classes consist of watching videos starring Professor FunTime and his singing calculator, Gizmo--with extra worksheets! What's worse: FunTime classes take the place of electives such as art, chorus and band. The Origami Rebel Alliance hatches a plan to fail the test, sinking the school's chance of meeting state standards, unless Principal Rabbski ends FunTime and returns electives to the curriculum. But Emperor Palpatine--as the kids think of Rabbski--won't fall that easily! Tommy's case file grows in Angleberger's fourth doodle-filled paean to individuality, friendship and all things Star Wars. This book may not win any fans among school administrators, but those who have delighted in Tommy and his friends' previous case files will be pleased. It's not a great place to begin reading the series--start with the first--and readers be warned: This documents a battle, not the whole war, and ends with the words "To be continued" ("Way yes!" says Origami Yoda). Origami instructions are included (of course), and it's otherwise chock-full of customarily quirky fun. (Graphic hybrid fiction. 8-12)

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November 1, 2013

Gr 4-7-When Dwight returns to McQuarrie Middle School on the first day of spring semester, questions swirl. Will Origami Yoda return with him? Will he only say "Purple," as he sometimes does? But before the gang can find out, new problems arise. Principal Rabbski has enacted FunTime, annoying videos of Professor FunTime and his singing calculator, designed to raise students' standardized test scores. He cancels all extracurricular activities and the big field trip and introduces disgusting new healthy food. When the students turn to Origami Yoda for guidance, he tells them they must fail their tests on purpose to make their statement. The students form a Rebel Alliance to rally other students on their side. When Rabbski finds out about their sinister plot, she tries to foil it. As the Rebel Alliance gains momentum, new origami puppets emerge, including Jabba the Puppett. Fans of the series will relish the side drawings' goofy humor, the new puppets to make, and the cliff-hanger promising more to come. One character even brings a little math and science into the plot with his graphs showing how FunTime is actually making the students less smart. New readers of the series will probably need to go back to the prior books for complete understanding.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

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