“The Strange Case of Origami Yoda” by Tom Angleberger

Title: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
Author: Tom Angleberger
Read Date: 7 January 2012
Goodreads Reading Progress Status Updates: Click here.  
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.

This was such a fun book to read, and should appeal to Star Wars fans of all ages! The stories that form the case file are typical middle school tales about crushes and bullies and embarrassing situations that kids go through, but the addition of Origami Yoda’s antics and the hilarious doodles on the pages make the ordinary stories more fun.

Click to view the text in a better resolution

It fascinates me how kids will readily believe the advice of a finger puppet but will balk at following what their parents and elders tell them. Then again, there’s something compelling about a green Jedi Master who not only talks in riddles, but in riddles in jumbled-up words! And I’m sure even adults will think twice about everything that Origami Yoda says; I sure did.

Q: Origami Yoda, my hair always gets messy even if I comb it in the morning. People make fun of me and my mom rags on me about it. What should I do?

Yoda: Hairdo like Yoda you must have.

Q: You mean bald?

Yoda: Yes.

And now I shall attempt to fold some Yodas of my own based on the instructions in the book. I’m not an origami whiz, so May the Force be with me.

Origami Yoda prototype from office scratch paper = success! At least I know I can fold it. The game's afoot! #1000Yodas pic.twitter.com/sSxRnelE

— Meann (@almeldiel) January 11, 2012