The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom AnglebergerMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Tell you a story I can: the story of the Origami Yoda. But first let me tell you the story of Tommy and his friends, Kellen and Harvey. They are the guys who sit on the stage during the school dance and watch it all from the sidelines, never asking a girl to dance and wishing one would ask them instead. Until one eventful dance when Tommy decides to stop sitting and ask a girl to dance. Just when he has gotten his courage up to do so, another sideliner, Dwight, stops him and suggest he “ask Origami Yoda” first. Dwight is not just your ordinary sideliner either; he is the biggest loser of them all. He never seems to get anything right and ends up embarrassing himself and those around him. Just when Tommy thinks Dwight is making all the Yoda stuff up, Yoda’s advice saves Tommy from making a fool of himself. Now people are coming to Origami Yoda for advice about all kinds of stuff. But is Origami Yoda real? Can he see the future? Does he really know things or is it just Dwight making things up? Tommy needs to know because he is going to do something that could make him look like the biggest fool of the century. Now he really needs to know – Is Origami Yoda real or not?
My first confession regarding this book is – I am not a Star Wars junkie. I know who Yoda is and found him amusing in the movies but that is about all. (I didn’t’ even see the second round of movies where Yoda is a bit younger.) That being said, I found Origami Yoda very clever and enjoyable. While Tommy is the main narrator, I like the fact the book is written as a case file in a fact finding mission. This allows Tommy to interview other characters so we get to hear multiple voices and viewpoints related to Yoda and his wisdom. The humor and ease of reading makes this a great book for those reluctant readers who have read all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books on the shelf. I recommend this book for ages 10 – 12.
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