Review: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
What’s the next level above gold? Platinum? In both content and appearance, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is reluctant reader platinum. The Star Wars association will draw attention, but the spot-on portrayal of the awkwardness, friendships, and first crushes of 6th grade life will hit home.
The stage is set from the first lines:
The big question: Is origami Yoda real? Well, of course he’s real. I mean, he’s a real finger puppet made out of a real piece of paper. But I mean: Is he REAL? Does he really know things? Can he see the future? Does he use the force?
The evidence is inconclusive. He’s a finger puppet, true, but he also gives out some pretty incredible advice. Or does that advice actually come from Dwight, the outcast who created origami Yoda? Probably not – Dwight’s too weird to actually provide sound council. Tommy is determined to find out if the finger puppet can be trusted. He has a girl dilemma, you see, and needs some help. To get to the bottom of things, he’s put together firsthand accounts of his friends’ helpful, confusing, and odd interactions with Origami Yoda. Each chapter is a new anecdote, from a different perspective. When the middle school dance comes around, Tommy has to decide if he should listen to the tiny Jedi master or not.
Angleberger nails the tone here. The dialogue, the inside jokes, the mindset of an outsider – it just feels authentic. Fans of his solid Qwikpick Adventure Society will find Origami Yoda just as easy to relate to.
The interest level is high, the humor is frequent, and the situations authentic. A winner, appears to be, it does.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Click here to read the author’s take on how this book got made (and how they were able to use Yoda).
The author explains how to make your own origami Yoda in this video:
Also reviewed by Shelf Elf, Books4yourkids, Ms. Yingling Reads.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Filed under: Reviews
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
Review of the Day: How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger
Review | Chickenpox
Talking with the Class of ’99 about Censorship at their School
Take Five: New Middle Grade Books in October
ADVERTISEMENT
lynn says
meanie. why did you have to make origami yoda ao complicated to make? that is not nice i thin k the book should be cool i am going to get iut s book fair however that not nice to make it so hard
Brooke says
I love the plot of this story and hope to read it soon
JanisHarris says
Apart from football, Spain will give you plenty of locations have fun with riding a bike, water sports, actively playing golf, coupled with ski. You will find top class velodromes and additionally courses vacation. You may ok places for the purpose of taking advantage of mountain climbing or water sports.
http://www.tenderirbis.ru/php/acqforum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=7419&sid=6b40130044e7601e1ec14329ac0df43c
Bret says
The sign that the intelli-clean does not work is that when you press
the intelli-clean button on the handle, there is no difference if it is on or off,
it does not change suction. Although the low price
of many steam cleaners may seem enticing, it is important to consider the quality of the machine.
The only weight setting on your carper at
the roller brush is the weight of the nozzle itself.
Happy Diwali Wishes says
Each new age brought the criminal element forward with it.
Advertisers all over the place, advertising everything underneath the sun. You
can download Avast Free Antivirus for free from the Avast website.
EuneSl says
????????? ????????? ??????? ??? ???????????? ????? ???? ????? ?? 999 ???. ??????? ?????? ??????? ?? 1 ???? ? ??????? ?? ?????! ????????? ??????? ??? ????, ???: http://lp999rub.plp7.ru/ ??? ?????!
social media accounts says
Fantastic items from you, man. I’ve have in mind your
stuff prior to and you’re just extremely wonderful. I really like what you have bought here, really
like what you’re stating and the way in which through which you say it.
You make it entertaining and you still care for to
keep it smart. I can not wait to read far more from you.
That is really a tremendous website.