Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus

A daylong field trip without origami? Nostrul! Er, awful!Tommy and his fellow seventh-grade Star Wars (and origami) fanatics are ready to go on the field trip they worked so hard to get reinstated in Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue (2014), but despite her softened stance, Principal Rabbski imposes a rule banning origami on the trip. Tommy and company open a new case file to chronicle how (or if) they will survive the trip. The students take turns narrating, recording the mistakes, the misunderstandings, the secret cellphones and secret origami...thankfully Dwight, customary custodian of Origami Yoda, brought plenty of lime fruit roll-ups to create Fruitigami Yoda. However, disbeliever Harvey has smuggled his evil origami Emperor Pickletine (with real pickle head) on the trip, and he's Tommy's bus buddy. Will Harvey drive him crazy? Will Tommy get to kiss Sara? Will Fruitigami Yoda be as helpful as his origami incarnation? And what of those standardized tests the students fought so hard against? The final Origami Yoda case file has all the answers! Angleberger closes his six-plus-volume (there is a companion origami manual with stories) series of doodle-filled Star Wars paeans with an enjoyable, funny and realistic denouement that nicely wraps up most of the series storylines. Age-appropriate boy-girl relationships add to the authenticity of the characters, who will soon be eighth graders. One last time: "stooky!" (Er, "fantastic!") (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 9-12) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

November 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-The fateful day has finally arrived for the seventh graders at McQuarrie Middle School to embark on their much-anticipated field trip to Washington, DC, their reward for defeating the FunTime Menace back in Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue (Abrams/Amulet, 2014). When cell phones and origami (and paper altogether) are banned on the trip by Principal Rabbski, and "bus buddies" are mandated, the kids are anxious that things might turn "nostrul" (awful). Tommy and the gang open a new case file chronicling their ups and downs, with Kellen adding the riotous illustrations. Smuggled cell phones and lime Fruit Roll-Ups used to create Fruitigami Yoda may save the day, but Harvey threatens to sour everyone's plans with his smuggled evil origami, Emperor Pickletine (with real pickle head). Chaperones include Mr. Good Clean Fun (along with his monkey puppet, Soapy) and dreaded Mr. Howell, who seems destined to thwart any possible fun. Can the students avoid the standardized tests? Will Fruitigami Yoda conquer Emperor Pickletine? As Angleberger brings the wildly popular series to a close (or does he?), age-appropriate boy-girl relationships are explored, and most of the story lines are wrapped up. As in the previous titles, instructions to make the origami figures are included, and this installment also includes an entertaining chart showing the effects of Origami Yoda on all of the pertinent characters. Fans of the series won't want to miss the satisfying conclusion, but new readers should start at the beginning.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

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