The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

katjune62 - I origionally bought this book for my brother's birthday,but I decided to read it anyways. I really liked it because it wasn't all about some crazy intergalactic Star Wars adventure or some difficult Origami guide, like I thought it would be. It takes place in an average, boooring middle school. The main characters are a group of some dorky, some annoying, and some popular sixth-graders, and one in particular, Dwight, who is not in any of those categories. Dwight would just be classified as one thing: unbelievably wierd and totally bonkers. He walks around with a finger puppet that looks like Yoda that gives out advice. Some of the kids believe in Origami Yoda because of all his great advice, but one kid, Harvey, refuses to believe in Origami Yoda even though his life's a mess. The other kids can't decide if Origami Yoda is real and tapping into the force, or if Dwight is just trying to make them look like fools for making fun of him, so this is the case file to figure out if Origami Yoda is worth listening to. This book is absolutely FULL of laughs!!

March 15, 2010
“Is Origami Yoda real?” is the question that plagues sixth-grader Tommy and drives the plot of this snappy debut. From one perspective, Origami Yoda is a finger puppet that offers cryptic but oddly sage advice to Tommy and his classmates. From another, he is simply the “green paperwad” animated by Tommy's misfit friend, Dwight, who “wear shorts with his socks pulled up above his knees” and stares into space “like a hypnotized chicken.” Compiling a series of funny, first-person accounts of Yoda's wisdom from his friends, Tommy hopes to solve this mystery to determine whether to trust Yoda's advice about asking a certain girl to dance. Angleberger peppers his chapters with spot-on boy banter, humorously crude Captain Underpants–style drawings, and wisecrack asides that comically address the social land mines of middle school. Tommy confronts the ethical dilemma of standing up for the weird kid and the angst of school dances: “My hands were shaking and my stomach was excited like the time my dad accidentally drove into a fire hydrant.” But with enigmatic counsel like “Cheetos for everyone you must buy,” Yoda keeps the mystery alive. Ages 8–12.

May 1, 2010
Gr 3-6-For Tommy, the only question is whether or not Origami Yoda is real. Of course he's real as a small puppet on Dwight's finger. But does the oracle possess magic power? In order to find out, he decides to compile scientific evidence from the experiences of those who asked Origami Yoda for help. His friend Harvey is invited to comment on each story because he thinks Yoda is nothing but a "green paper wad." Tommy also comments because he's supposedly trying to solve the puzzle. In actuality, the story is about boys and girls in sixth grade trying to figure out how being social works. In fact, Tommy says, "]it's about this really cool girl, Sara, and whether or not I should risk making a fool of myself for her." The situations that Yoda has a hand in are pretty authentic, and the setting is broad enough to be any school. The plot is age-old but with the twist of being presented on crumpled pages with cartoon sketches, supposed hand printing, and varying typefaces. Kids should love it."Sheila Fiscus, Our Lady of Peace School, Erie, PA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
Grades 4-6 Tommy and his friends think that Dwight is a weirdo whos always talking about robots or spiders or something. In true Dwight fashion, he shows up at school one day brandishing a little origami Yoda finger puppet. The really weird thing is that it doles out very un-Dwight-like bits of wisdom, and the mystery is whether the Yoda is just Dwight talking in a funny voice or if it actually has mystical powers. The book is structured as a collection of stories gathered by Tommy and told by kids who either believe or dont. See, Tommy has a more vested interest than just idle curiosityhe is dying to know if he can trust Yodas advice about asking the cute girl to dance with him at the PTA Fun Night. Origami Yodaa sort of talking cootie catcheris the kind of thing that can dominate all those free moments in school for a few weeks. Anglebergers rendering of such a middle-grade cultural obsession is not only spot-on but also reveals a few resonant surprises hidden in the folds. Naturally, Yoda-making instructions are included.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)