The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

I love reading books aimed at children, well sometimes I do and others I just want to throw my hands up in the air and wonder about the wisdom of the Authors. With this book this was not the case, this is a great read, and I don’t care that I’m old and crusty with grandchildren, this is a book series I will keep on my shelves and re-read as a pick me up.

If you are a reader that loves Star Wars, or even if you come of the other camp of Trekkers, this book will have you chuckling and making you wonder how you ever made it through 6th grade yourself without the wisdom of Yoda. If you have no clue who any of the above are, read it just for the sheer enjoyment of being able to be a kid again. This little piece of fun is also a great way show more to get middle school children invested in reading, as the whole series pulls on characters they most like recognise from the movies, and what could be easier than that.

Like most children’s books there are no complex characters to wade through, no diabolical plot lines, this book is just kids being kids and brooding over the major concern of their time; does an origami Yoda really give sound advice that can be followed? For example: “How do you get out of a potentially embarrassing situation when you're in the bathroom and you spill water on your pants so that it looks like you peed yourself? Origami Yoda says: "All of pants, you must wet." But for all the fun stuff in this book, the little drawings and side notes as different classmates weigh in on the Origami Yoda conundrum, this book discusses a serious topic in an easy to understand way for children; tolerance. Just because one person thinks another is strange doesn’t mean we are all going to think that way, and this book is able to covey the wonderfulness of difference and tolerance in a world that is becoming more uniform and intolerant. Don’t over analyse this book hence the short review just enjoy it, and when you’re done with it use the diagram at the end to create your very own origami Yoda.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone really, and if you’re thinking of reading this in the dark don’t forget to have your trusty lightsaber on hand to help see the pages young Padawan.

“Much to learn you still have.” … “This is just the beginning!” ~Yoda
I will definitely be reading the rest of this series.

Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/08/25/review-the-strange-case-of-origami-yoda-or...





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Dwight is a weird kid, but his finger puppet Origami Yoda has been giving great advice to his classmates. Tommy wants Yoda's opinion about a girl he likes, and has compiled a case of all the questions Origami Yoda has answered to try to figure out if the advice really comes from the puppet and not strange Dwight.

Angleberger genuinely captures the tone of a concerned and inquisitive sixth grader. Short chapters/case reports will capture even those with short attention spans, and jokes in the text and funny doodle illustrations in the margins make for a laugh a page. Pages are printed to look distressed and dogeared, which lend to the feeling that the entire tome is put together and studied by a middle schooler. Readers will relate to the show more problems that students share with Origami Yoda, and may even benefit from the paper puppet's advice.

Mid-to-late elementary students will be best suited for this clever book, but even middle schoolers will not be able to resist the pull of Origami Yoda. show less

In a time not too long ago and in a galaxy located somewhere in the American Southeast,* there was a boy named Dwight, an incredibly unpopular boy adrift in a benighted middle school (as if there is any other kind). Like so many unpopular kids in middle school/junior high, Dwight doesn’t get the social cues that other students inherently absorb and/or simply marches to his own drummer. And in the sixth grade, what crime is greater than being different — or really smart or passionate or artistic or kind-hearted or shy? The idiosyncrasies that will make for a creative and remarkable adult simply appear as unforgiveable faux pas amongst 12-year-olds.

But one day, Dwight introduces Origami Yoda, who acts as oracle amongst McQuarrie show more Middle School sixth- and seventh-graders. Dwight’s friend — and I use the word loosely — Tommy is stumped about Dwight’s finger puppet and constant companion. How can Origami Yoda be so prescient if Dwight himself is the class’s most clueless member? The book begins with Tommy writing:

The big question: Is Origami Yoda real?

Well, of course, he’s real. 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?

Or is he just a hoax that’s fooled a whole bunch of us at McQuarrie Middle School?

So Tommy compiles a collection of case studies to verify whether Origami Yoda is the real deal. These tales are humorous and at times — as Futurama would put it — touchingly pathetic. And the book features a cross-section of middle-school sub-cliques: sci-fi geeks, popular kids, jocks, clueless bullies, mean girls, the know-it-all snarky, and quiet, shy kids. And with each tale, we get a closer glimpse at Dwight, who, at first glance, appeared to be the most dimwitted and socially inept sixth-grader ever.

Aimed at 9- to 12-year-olds, Origami Yoda would thrill the heart of any adult who still remembers longings, confusion, stinging embarrassments, sorrows, and too-brief joys of middle school. I enjoyed the audiobook edition (barely over two hours of pure pleasure) which features an entire cast of narrators who make the book unforgettable. But those who read the Kindle or paperback editions will get the benefit of author Tom Angleberger’s delightful illustrations. A hard choice, indeed!

You can read to discover Tommy’s final scientific conclusion about Origami Yoda; however, as far as I’m concerned, Origami Yoda is REAL. And Dwight is a real treasure. I can hardly wait to start the sequel, Darth Paper Strikes Back.

* The grocery chain Food Lion, located in 11 states in the Southeast, is mentioned in Origami Yoda. show less

We can NOT keep these books on our shelves, and the second book, Darth Paper Strikes Back is a current Colorado Children's Book Award nominee, so I checked out the first one to see what all the fuss is about. I like the appealing format: Tommy is conducting a case study to try to determine if Origami Yoda is for real. Other 6th grade classmates contribute their personal stories of advice received from Origami Yoda; his friend Harvey, who thinks it's a bunch of nonsense comments on every entry in the spirit of impartiality; and friend Kellen adds humorous doodles. Origami Yoda is the creation of classmate Dwight, and therein lies the problem. Yoda dispenses uncannily good (if syntactically-challenged a la Yoda) advice, but Yoda is an show more origami finger puppet worn and voiced by Dwight, who is the strangest, oddest, biggest mess of a kid in the whole school. The one who spends his afternoons digging huge holes and then sitting in them; the one who fails the pop quiz Origami Yoda accurately predicts, saving those whom he forewarned; the one who wears the barf-green sweater-vest with pink puffballs on it; and the one who sprayed juice all over a batch of cupcakes being served to the class as a birthday treat. The undercurrent is the uniquely middle school social structure of this group of kids -- figuring out when it's okay to be unique, to try new things, and learning what makes a good friend.

Angleberger, T. & Rosenstock, J. (2010). The strange case of Origami Yoda. New York: Amulet Books. show less

Origami Yoda says, "Read this you must."

If a strange kid -- who sometimes sits in holes for hours, or wears the same shirt for days -- sticks a green folded piece of paper on his finger and starts talking in riddles, would you listen to him? Perhaps if you're in sixth grade and you're not exactly part of the "cool kids" crowd -- what would you have to lose? Thus, several kids in the aptly-named McQuarrie Middle School begin to follow the advice of the curious finger puppet.

It's a pretty funny story, although the chapters -- which have different students' interactions with the Origami Yoda -- don't always seem to be going anywhere at times. A few of the kids have stories that will stick with you for a while ("Cheeto Hog"!), but most of show more the book is about the typical middle school issues, like who likes who. It's an OK finish, although it seems a little too nicely wrapped up to be plausible.

And there's enough Star Wars references to make the fanboys happy, too. Check out the bus of characters on pages 50-51; the doodles are a little rough, but true fans could name most of the passengers. There are X-wings and TIE fighters throughout, and of course, the final pages do show a simple Origami Yoda to make for your own adventures. show less

This silly creative book made me have to finish the book before going to bed.

Dwight, the strangest sixth grader in the school, makes an origami Yoda puppet. The Yoda puppet starts dispensing some great and weird advice. Is the puppet real? Or is Dwight really just that weird? Told from different characters point of view .... we never hear from Dwight or Yoda really directly. But I think that's part of the charm of the book. If I a Star Wars fan at sixth grade I would have loved this book.

Structured as a case file compiled by middle school student Tommy, The Strange Case of Origami Yoga sets out to determine whether weird fellow student Dwight's origami finger puppet Yoda is truly wise, or a total hoax. It's important for Tommy to know, because he has an important question for Yoda and needs to know if he can trust his advice: does Sara like Tommy? Should he ask her to dance at Fun Night?

Filled with humor, commentary, and doodles, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a unique take on the middle school experience, where reality is changing and blurring and everyone is navigating new territory.

Back matter includes folding instructions for making your own Origami Yoda.

Quotes

And when one kid does something stupid, there's show more got to be somebody to make a huge production out of it.
And of course, that kid is Harvey. (90) show less