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.)
"For a fun middle grade that dares to rise a little higher than the usual crop, place your bets on The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Or, in the words of the great warrior himself, 'Enjoy book, you soon will.'"
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).
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
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
…a delightful first novel…Part of what drives the story is the question of Origami Yoda's credibility, but the other is our growing involvement in the friendships and crushes of Tommy and his pals. The most fascinating character is the eccentric and complicated Dwight. If he gives such spot-on advice as Yoda, why can't he listen to it? If he did, he "wouldn't seem so weird all the time," Tommy notes. Seeing how Dwight grows and matures is engaging and believable.
—The New York Times
Sixth grader Tommy has a dilemma: He doesn't know whether to trust the advice of Origami Yoda, who dispenses wisdom from his perch on the finger of mega-nerd Dwight. Tommy compiles this case file, written by himself and other students who have benefited (or not) from Dwight/Yoda's help, in an attempt to decide. Tommy's friend Harvey, a skeptic, comments on each story, and another friend, Kellen, illustrates. Yoda counsels students on everything from American Idol outcomes to overcoming fear of softball failure to what to do when you get a little water stain on your pants in just the wrong place. Though Tommy's not forthcoming, it's pretty easy to guess what he's uncertain about, but it's never easy to guess the next twist in this kooky charmer of a Cyrano mystery tale. The arch and dry (and sometimes slapstick) humor of Angleberger's first will keep the pages turning. The stories are presented in a different typeface from Harvey's comments and Tommy's, and the whole is designed to look like a battered journal, crinkled paper and all. A skewed amalgam of Wayside Stories and Wimpy Kid that is sure to please fans of both. (Origami Yoda instructions) (Fiction. 8-12)
"Angleberger’s rendering of such a middle-grade cultural obsession is not only spot-on but also reveals a few resonant surprises hidden in the folds."
"A skewed amalgam of Wayside Stories and Wimpy Kid that is sure to please fans of both."—Kirkus Reviews
"For a fun middle grade that dares to rise a little higher than the usual crop, place your bets on The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Or, in the words of the great warrior himself, 'Enjoy book, you soon will.'"—Elizabeth Bird, Fuse #8
"Angleberger’s rendering of such a middle-grade cultural obsession is not only spot-on but also reveals a few resonant surprises hidden in the folds."—Booklist
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
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
