Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by Tom Angleberger Narrated by Mark Turetsky, Greg Steinbruner, Charlotte Parry, Jonathan Todd Ross, Julia Gibson

Overview

A journalist and fiction author, Tom Angleberger has a knack for capturing the lives of today's youth. In The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, socially awkward Dwight shows up to school one morning waving a green finger puppet. Strange enough, but then Dwight starts talking in a funny voice and doling out advice. Is it the puppet, or is it Dwight? And will paper Yoda be able to help Dwight convince the girl of his dreams to go to the big dance with him?

“Angleberger's rendering of such a middle-grade cult obsession is not only spot-on but also reveals a few resonant surprises hidden in the folds.”-Booklist

Editorial Reviews

OCTOBER 2011 - AudioFile

Is Origami Yoda real? Who would trust the advice proffered by an origami figure perched on the finger of the class nerd? This is the big question facing Tommy and his middle school friends as Tommy documents the experiences of classmates who have sought guidance from Dwight’s Origami Yoda. The cast of multiple narrators heightens the story’s humor. The narrator who portrays Tommy has a knack for taking listeners into his confidence. Listeners find themselves in the midst of middle school, experiencing each droll situation firsthand—from school dances to the boys’ bathroom. The throaty Yoda issues his pronouncements such as “speed must you have” or “rush in fools do” with amusing combinations of pacing and tone. A.R. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

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[s] 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. (Apr.)

The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Angleberger's goofy entertainment is exactly calibrated to delight that cohort of boys who are old enough to notice girls but not quite brave enough yet to, you know, really talk to them.
—Meghan Cox Gurdon

Sacramento Book Review

Angleberger’s book drips with silliness and charm, detailing the rise of a new urban legend, through the lens of those confusing and awkward days gone by. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is quick, it’s enjoyable, and it even includes instructions on how to make your own paper puppet prophet. What more could you want?
—Glenn Dallas

Richmond Parents Monthly

You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to love this book. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is funny and incredibly relatable. There are even instructions on making your own Origami Yoda (magic powers not included).

School Library Journal

Gr 3–6—Sixth grader Tommy and his friends face gym class jitters, embarrassing nicknames, and considerable girl anxiety. They need the wisdom of a Jedi master just to make it through the day. When Tommy's weird classmate Dwight shows up at school with an origami Yoda finger puppet and suggests that Tommy and his friends check in with the Yoda when they have difficult situations to deal with or tough decisions to make. The Yoda's advice is so good that the friends can't imagine that it is coming from oddball Dwight and Tommy decides to investigate. Tom Angleberger's novel (Amulet Books, 2010) is Tommy's casebook. He documents his own interactions with Origami Yoda and asks his friends to contribute theirs as well. This works really well in the audio format. Five actors voice Tommy, Kellen, Quavondo, Sara, and resident skeptic Harvey with varying degrees of believable immaturity. The case is never resolved, and listeners are left to decide for themselves whether Origami Yoda is merely Dwight's dummy or if somehow the finger puppet is actually using the Force.—Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169273359
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	02/25/2011
Series:	Origami Yoda Series
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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