The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger is a Sunshine State Book for grades 6-8 this coming school year. After reading it, I have to say it is a good choice for the list for one main reason – it will hook reluctant readers, and maybe this hook will get them to read more books on the list! Origami Yoda is funny, sometimes downright silly, and very relatable.


Summary: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is told as a series of tales from the perspectives of many different middle schoolers. All these students are united by one thing: Dwight’s Origami Yoda finger puppet and the amazing advice it gives. One of the students, Tommy, decides to gather everyone’s stories of Dwight’s Origami Yoda so that he can decide if Yoda really does have the answers, even though Dwight is such a loser. Because if Origami Yoda is for real, Tommy has to follow its advice about a very important topic: the girl he likes!

The stories that make up this book range from laugh-out-loud funny to slightly heartwarming. After each story, Tommy’s friend, Harvey, who is the resident skeptic, gives his view on what really happened and shooting down any possibility that Dwight and Yoda might be on to something.

The illustrations throughout the book make it feel like it really was put together by a middle school student, and will appeal to fans of other series such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid.


Themes:
Fitting In
Friendship

Age Appropriateness:
9 and up

Areas of concern (content):
Foul Language: none
Nudity/Adult Content: none
Violence: none