Dwight’s not the first person in the world to make an Origami Yoda, of course. There are a bunch of them on the Internet. But Dwight didn’t download instructions; he actually created his own Origami Yoda.
But it’s one thing to make a paper Yoda, and it’s another to ask people to talk to it. That’s what makes him a loser. You can’t go around school with a paper Yoda on your finger talking to people.
I bet even Origami Yoda would tell him that, if he would just listen.
(from The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, page 5)
I was intrigued by The Strange Case of Origami Yoda when The Girl (age 10) bought it from her school’s book fair. I’m not a huge Star Wars fan; in fact, I only just watched the original movies for the first time a few months ago. But Yoda rocks, and this book has an eye-catching cover. And when The Girl put the book on her “Best Books of 2010” list, I knew I had to read it.
In The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Tom Angleberger tells the story of a group of 6th graders whose lives are forever changed by a paper finger puppet. Dwight, known as the class weirdo, one day puts Origami Yoda on his finger and asks people to talk to him. Origami Yoda is just as wise as the Yoda we know and love in the movies. He dispenses advice on everything from whether or not to ask a girl to dance to how the least athletic boy in the class can finally do well in softball.
The book is told from the point of view of Tommy, who really, really needs to know if Origami Yoda is real — and the answer will determine how he proceeds with the girl he really, really likes. Is Dwight pretending to be Origami Yoda? That doesn’t make sense because Dwight is an oddball and Origami Yoda is so wise. Is Origami Yoda real and tapping into the Force? That doesn’t make sense either because he’s a paper finger puppet whose voice sounds nothing like Yoda in the movies even if his weird sentence structure is spot on.
So Tommy creates a case file in which the kids whose lives have been changed by Origami Yoda tell their stories. Tommy’s friend, Harvey, who doesn’t believe in Origami Yoda at all, puts in his two cents at the end of each story, but Tommy gets the last word. And their friend, Kellen, has doodled throughout the book. The book uses typewritten and handwritten fonts to make it look like a compilation of journal entries, and the background of each page looks like crumpled paper.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a book that’s both fun and funny. I could picture this nerdy little kid with a finger puppet attracting all the attention, and I could feel the embarrassment of Tommy, Harvey, and Kellen, who are forced to sit with him at lunch. Angleberger uses a unique story to teach kids to think deeper, believe in themselves, and not get so hung up on appearances. Dwight was my favorite character, and he struck me as a free spirit who doesn’t play by the rules or want to be normal. Adults will get a few chuckles from this book, and kids will especially enjoy the directions at the end to make their own Origami Yoda.
Disclosure: The Girl purchased her copy of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (with my money, of course…you know how kids are!). I am an Amazon associate.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
This sounds like a great book – from your description, I can see why The Girl liked it so much.
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It’s a very fun book. That’s all The Girl would say when I asked if she wanted me to include her thoughts. 🙂
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This looks very cute! Obviously The Girl has inherited good taste in choosing books!
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Thanks! I’m glad that having a kid gives me an excuse to read these types of books. 😉
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I love that she is so obsessed with Star Wars! LOL I could totally see The Girl wanting to create her own Origami Yoda. I think this book is teaching kids fundamental skills in a fun way. Thanks for the review.
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We tried making an Origami Yoda using the instructions, but so far, we haven’t succeeded in making one that looks like the picture!
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Looks like a well designed YA novel. Your reading is wide and interesting. Thanks for this.
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I thought it was very well done. Thanks for stopping by.
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Sounds like I should put it on my wish list
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Go for it! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
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I am sure this will end up in my list too! This sounds so good.
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Hope you get a chance to read it!
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Since I work in our school’s library, you’d think I’d seen just about everything, but this is a new one. It sounds precious, and I think it would make a great addition to my kids’ school library (where there are no shortage of Star Wars obsessives!)
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I first heard of the book through a blog review, then The Girl found it listed in the book fair flyer. It’s very popular in her class right now. Hope your kids enjoy it, too.
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What a unique story. It sounds like a fun read!
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Very fun it is. (I’m not very good at Yoda, but I gave it a shot!)
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Wonderful review. I absolutely loved this book!
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Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it, too.
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He is so cute 😀 I am a big SW fan, lol, I am such a nerd
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Yoda is adorable! 🙂
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I got this book for my class {we’re pretty Star Wars obsessed in our classroom!} and the kids that picked it up loved it. I brought it home to read myself over the long weekend, and to try and fold Yoda for the kids!
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They must have loved that!
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This sounds really cute. I can think of a couple of kids I know who would love it.
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The cover is totally cute. I think this book would appeal to people of different ages and both boys and girls.
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this book is so cute. i picked up a galley somewhere and my husband, an origami maniac, had a blast making the projects. fun!
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I’d love to see his origami! We couldn’t make one that looked like the picture, but we had fun trying.
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Anna, this sounds like a great book with a great message! 🙂
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Definitely! Hope you give it a try.
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This sounds sweet and different!
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Totally! 🙂
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It’s fun to pick up the books that you’re kids have read and find that you enjoy them too, isn’t it? When they start reading on their own, you stop getting to know what they enjoy in a book or why.
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I know what you mean. I miss reading with her; she rarely wants to do that anymore, though she does enjoy sharing books.
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I thought this was a fun book, though I did not attempt to make the Origami Yoda.
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It’s fun, but definitely not easy.
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this one is all over my middle school…loved the quirky title and storyline!
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The Girl said a lot of kids in her class bought it at the book fair. The title does grab your attention.
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The Girl rocks!
-Tom
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Hi, Tom! Your comment made my daughter’s day!
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