In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwigh...
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Jan 04, 2011
Patrick
rated it: 
A friend recommended this book to me and this ended up being one of my favorite books. Origami Yoda is about a sixth grade class. There is a really strange boy named Dwight who has an Origami Yoda, and he wears it on his finger. In this book Origami Yoda spreads his wisdom to everyone who wants his help. But the big question is: is Origami Yoda real or is it just Dwight trying to play a prank. Tommy and his friends Kellen, and Harvey need to find out. If they don’t something very bad could happe
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Jun 04, 2010
Amy
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There's always that one weird kid in school who has no idea that they're weird; all of the other kids can tell them that they're weird, but they just go on being weird, and Tom Angleberger really does a fantastic job of showing how there needs to be a weird kid in every school to shake things up and make everyone else question their own place in the food chain. This book was a breath of weird, fresh air, and I really enjoyed the multiple narratives and the way that the characters grew to unders
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(5 people liked it)
Jan 04, 2011
your neighborhood librarian
rated it:
...The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is Tommy's casebook. He documents his own interactions with Origami Yoda and asks his friends to contribute theirs as well. This works really well on audio - a cast of five actors impersonate Tommy, Kellen, Quavondo, Sara, and resident skeptic Harvey with varying degrees of believable immaturity. Hearing the way each actor interprets each kid's Yoda imitation is particularly entertaining. The four boys I ferried to and from a field trip on Tuesday hung on ever
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Mar 09, 2011
Reading Vacation's Mom
rated it:
REVIEW
“This 5 star review you must write.” That would be the advice my own Origami Yoda gave to me. Since I believe in Origami Yoda, I am going to follow that advice.
In this imaginative middle grade book, sixth-grader Tommy presents his investigation into whether or not Origami Yoda is real. The book is written in a tween-friendly style with plenty of pencil drawings and funny blurbs in the margins. There are fun chapter titles and comments from Tommy’s classmates. My eight-year-old brother More...
“This 5 star review you must write.” That would be the advice my own Origami Yoda gave to me. Since I believe in Origami Yoda, I am going to follow that advice.
In this imaginative middle grade book, sixth-grader Tommy presents his investigation into whether or not Origami Yoda is real. The book is written in a tween-friendly style with plenty of pencil drawings and funny blurbs in the margins. There are fun chapter titles and comments from Tommy’s classmates. My eight-year-old brother More...
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Feb 02, 2012
Kengo
rated it: 
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger is one of those books which have several short stories inside which connect to each other. It is about how Origami Yoda, an origami finger puppet made by Dwight, solves cases. Well the finger puppet can't talk by itself, so Dwight talks in a "Yoda voice" and mixes the words up a bit like "the twist you must learn" when he means "you must learn the twist". Most people might think is this guy, Dwight, an idiot? Well
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Jan 31, 2012
Ben
rated it: 
I borrowed this book off my brother thinking it would be exciting, funny and interesting like the following books I like:
The Medusa Project
Alex Rider
DOAWK
The Memory Cage and other books which are worth reading and are amazing...
It wasn't It was boring, stupid and NOT FUNNY. No plot twists, no cliffhangers or interesting things like that. It's short and only took me 45-60 minutes to read. The storyline sucks, which is basically:
Stupid boy makes paper Yo More...
The Medusa Project
Alex Rider
DOAWK
The Memory Cage and other books which are worth reading and are amazing...
It wasn't It was boring, stupid and NOT FUNNY. No plot twists, no cliffhangers or interesting things like that. It's short and only took me 45-60 minutes to read. The storyline sucks, which is basically:
Stupid boy makes paper Yo More...
Jan 31, 2012
Brittney
rated it: 
I really enjoyed "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda" because it is a humorous tale and it takes the reader into to the awkward years of middle school. Even if it doesn't relate to one's specific middle school experience, they can relate to the Star Wars aspect of the book. I think the story is unique because it is written in the form of a case file put together by Tommy, instead of the story being told from Tommy's point of view. It gives different perspectives from the children that h
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Jan 24, 2012
Mallika
rated it:
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a compilation of stories about Origami Yoda, a single object. It is written by Tom Angleberger and is based probably in a Middle School. This book is about a boy called Dwight who is considered the weirdo of the school until he makes Origami Yoda, his own creation. At first everyone thinks "What's so special about that? It's just ordinary." but then Yoda predicts the future and gives good advice to a boy called Tommy. Everyone believes that Yoda is r
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Jan 04, 2012
Laurel
rated it:
After recommending this book at the store to parents seeking the next thing after Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I decided I better read it. In my defense, I did have it highly recommended to me by my ten-year-old friend, a boy who loved D of a WK. So, James loaned me his copy and I polished it off in a few fun hours.
To my surprise, it's a romance (!)
Tommy decides to document all of the bizarre incidents that occur after a school-mate, the odd Dwight, makes and proceeds to wear More...
To my surprise, it's a romance (!)
Tommy decides to document all of the bizarre incidents that occur after a school-mate, the odd Dwight, makes and proceeds to wear More...
Dec 09, 2011
Sara
rated it:
1. Contemporary Realism
2. The strange story of a magically wise origami Yoda finger puppet on the finger of a very, very, strange boy named Dwight. Yoda helps several other sixth graders with their problems, giving advice that none of them believe can come from a "loser" like Dwight. The whole story is told by Tommy who is keeping a case file trying to figure out what is going on with Origami Yoda, with interviews from other students who have had an encounter with the finge More...
2. The strange story of a magically wise origami Yoda finger puppet on the finger of a very, very, strange boy named Dwight. Yoda helps several other sixth graders with their problems, giving advice that none of them believe can come from a "loser" like Dwight. The whole story is told by Tommy who is keeping a case file trying to figure out what is going on with Origami Yoda, with interviews from other students who have had an encounter with the finge More...
Nov 30, 2011
Chris
rated it:
Summary:
Ian Chipman (Booklist, May 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 17))
Tommy and his friends think that Dwight is a weirdo who’s “always talking about robots or spiders or something.” In true Dwight fashion, he shows up at school one day brandishing a little origami Yoda finger puppet. The really weird thing is that it doles out very un-Dwight-like bits of wisdom, and the mystery is whether the Yoda is just Dwight talking in a funny voice or if it actually has mystical powers. The book is str More...
Ian Chipman (Booklist, May 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 17))
Tommy and his friends think that Dwight is a weirdo who’s “always talking about robots or spiders or something.” In true Dwight fashion, he shows up at school one day brandishing a little origami Yoda finger puppet. The really weird thing is that it doles out very un-Dwight-like bits of wisdom, and the mystery is whether the Yoda is just Dwight talking in a funny voice or if it actually has mystical powers. The book is str More...
Nov 24, 2011
Bryan
rated it:
Attempting to keep up with what my 11-year old boy is reading again. This book was a quick read and surprisingly entertaining. My first impressions was that it was Napoleon Dynamite but with middle school-aged kids, but by the end of the book I thought, no, this is more real than Napoleon. The more I read the more I realized that it was all uncannily similar to what I remember from middle school. I'm so glad I can laugh at it now. The classic scene in the book for me was when the boys in on
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Sep 27, 2011
Heather
rated it:
Tommy just wants to know the truth. Is Origami Yoda for real? Origami Yoda is the creation of Dwight, a strange kid in Tommy's class who doesn't seem to fit in at all , but whose finger puppet--aka Origami Yoda--has a growing reputation for wisdom. This hilarious story of middle school angst and drama is set up as a file with case studies from Tommy's fellow classmates and comments (both written and artistic) by Tommy and his two friends Harvey and Kellen. As the story progresses, Tommy finds hi
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Aug 05, 2011
Joseph F.
rated it:
Have you ever watched Star Wars. You know that small wrinkly guy. Thats yoda well everybody knows he is not real, or is he. Well,like every school there's a nerd a wierd kid that everybody trys to avoid. In Tommy's school that kid is Dwight.
Dwight does alot of wierd stuff like wearing the same T-shirt for a month or even telling people to call him "Captain Dwight". For Tommy this is very embarrassing because he has to sit next to him every day for lunch. But then one More...
Dwight does alot of wierd stuff like wearing the same T-shirt for a month or even telling people to call him "Captain Dwight". For Tommy this is very embarrassing because he has to sit next to him every day for lunch. But then one More...
Jul 23, 2011
Carolyn
rated it:
Funny & episodic, with likeable characters, cute illustrations in the margins, and a format that positively invites interaction, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a great book for reluctant readers. (Despite the title, knowledge of Star Wars is not required.) Sixth grader Tommy assembles this case file (the book) as a way to objectively document whether the origami finger puppet of Yoda worn by his weird classmate Dwight really can predict the future. Each short chapter is a “case” written b
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Jul 20, 2011
Brandy
rated it:
Review originally posted here.
Every once in a while I come across a book that makes me sad I no longer have a room full of fifth graders to feed it to. This is one such book. Let me tell you, they would fight over it like a pack of starving hyenas. Not just the boys either. Oh no, this is one of the books you can put in the hands of any kid (or adult) and it is guaranteed to be enjoyed. It will be best enjoyed by those who are familiar with the character of Yoda, but you don't have t More...
Every once in a while I come across a book that makes me sad I no longer have a room full of fifth graders to feed it to. This is one such book. Let me tell you, they would fight over it like a pack of starving hyenas. Not just the boys either. Oh no, this is one of the books you can put in the hands of any kid (or adult) and it is guaranteed to be enjoyed. It will be best enjoyed by those who are familiar with the character of Yoda, but you don't have t More...
Jun 29, 2011
Kate
rated it:
A pretty spot-on rendering of the insecurities of middle school boys and how they manifest themselves in mean behavior. Actually, this is kind of like the boys' version of "Mean Girls," although not quite as caustic. Tommy, Kellen, and Harvey are not the cool kids -- they are the ones who sit on the stage at the monthly PTA dances, too afraid to ask a girl to dance. But they make themselves feel better by judging the kids who are even lower in the social strata, including Dwight. T
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May 21, 2011
Josiah
rated it:
Wow! This is the kind of pleasant surprise in literature that comes along so rarely, but is an absolute delight when it does. Author Tom Angleberger shows the potential to be sort of like another Jerry Spinelli, though with a style and writing voice all his own and a multi-faceted flair for the creative that is eclipsed by few, if any, others.
The book starts out with a scene-setting word from a sixth-grade student named Tommy. Tommy is gathering anecdotes from his classmates about th More...
The book starts out with a scene-setting word from a sixth-grade student named Tommy. Tommy is gathering anecdotes from his classmates about th More...
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May 09, 2011
Aaron
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A class of sixth graders is taken by storm when Dwight, who is considered to be quite the odd guy by most, starts walking around with an origami Yoda as a finger puppet. What really has their attention is the fact that the little Origami Yoda seems to be able to predict the future and provide wonderful advice. The question is whether Origami Yoda and Dwight really do have some magical abilities or it is just a weird hoax.
This becomes particularly important for our narrator Tommy. He is hoping More...
This becomes particularly important for our narrator Tommy. He is hoping More...
May 02, 2011
Leanne (Magic of Reading)
rated it:
So I had a day off work and I decide to do my usual poking around the bookstores in Canterbury and this book catches my eye! At first I walked away towards the fantasy section, but I was drawn straight back to it by some unknown force (Maybe 'The Force' who knows?) and I had to buy it. I mean it's about an Origami Yoda that gives out advice and predicts the future! Is it as epic as the title sounds? Definitely!
In summary, this story is Tommy's collection of case files of instances wh More...
In summary, this story is Tommy's collection of case files of instances wh More...
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Apr 23, 2011
Christine
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"The big question is: Is Origami Yoda real? Well, of course he's real. I mean, he's a real finger puppet made out of a real piece of paper. But I mean: Is he REAL? Can he see the future? Does he really use the Force? I've got to decide whether to take his advice or not, and if I make the wrong choice, I'm doomed! I don't want to get into all that yet, so for now let's just say it's about this really cool girl, Sara, and whether or not I should risk making a fool of myself for her."
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Mar 07, 2011
Jack
rated it:
Dear Readers.
Paperwad yoda was an intelligent thing that helped everybody to be good or be famous in school. But one day it did not worked so Dwight(a person a made a paperwad Yoda) crumpled the paperwad yoda and throw it to the recycle bin. Then on day Tommy Dwight's friend asked him to make it one more paperwad yoda. Then Tommy said that it will be okay or it would work. When Dwight had finished making a paperwad yoda the yoda started to save the school. For example paperwad yoda w More...
Paperwad yoda was an intelligent thing that helped everybody to be good or be famous in school. But one day it did not worked so Dwight(a person a made a paperwad Yoda) crumpled the paperwad yoda and throw it to the recycle bin. Then on day Tommy Dwight's friend asked him to make it one more paperwad yoda. Then Tommy said that it will be okay or it would work. When Dwight had finished making a paperwad yoda the yoda started to save the school. For example paperwad yoda w More...
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Jan 27, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
I always see kids in my section reading this book. They read it on the stage, the picnic table, and all the other normal places where kids tend to pick up books and read them while their parents are on the phone or shopping for adult books (didn't you know? I'm also a babysitter). I have seen, however, some kids curled up in small spaces reading this book, and even bringing outside the kids section to read if their parents are responsible enough to realize that the bookstore is not the same as a
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Jan 24, 2011
Liz
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Will there be a pop quiz in science class? What should I do about this stain on my pants? Does that girl like me? These are just a few questions that Sara, Kellen, Tommy, and the rest of sixth grade ask the all-knowing paper wad that is Origami Yoda. However, there are unbelievers among them. Harvey in particular is out to prove that Dwight's paper creation isn't magic, but "magically pathetic."
This was an OK read, especially for fans of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" More...
This was an OK read, especially for fans of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" More...
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Jan 18, 2011
Barky
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 16, 2011
Claudia
rated it:
Probably not even YA -- really middle school. I saw this author at ALAN, and actually tried to create my own origami Yoda...he was pretty pathetic. Tommy and Sara and Harvy and Dwight. School nerds and pretty girls all trying to navigate their way through life without major humiliation. So, the question for all of them is, "Does Dwight's origami Yoda finger puppet, with his cryptic pronouncements, really deserve to be listened to? Will he guide the kids in the right direction?"
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Jan 12, 2011
Patricia
rated it:
I liked the way the book was structured, as a case book of files that concerned a bunch of different sixth graders requests for wisdom from an origami figure created by a "loser" in their class. Dwight has a lot to resent from his friends and enemies. They all make fun of his fashion choices, they make fun of the way he eats, they make fun of just about everything about him including the fact that he walks around with an origami Yoda on his finger. That is until the Yoda starts spea
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Jan 03, 2011
Eva
rated it:
The problem with a lot of really funny books is that they don't portray a version of life that is particularly realistic. Sure, they might be hilarious - but it's not as if one reads them thinking "oh man, that is just SO true" or "wow, did this author actually get inside my brain?"
How fabulous, then, to read a book that is not only extremely funny but is actually strangely close to matching my memories of junior high school, which was populated by more intensely st More...
How fabulous, then, to read a book that is not only extremely funny but is actually strangely close to matching my memories of junior high school, which was populated by more intensely st More...
Jan 03, 2011
Adam
rated it:
For a while I was leaning toward four stars for this but really it was just that I was afraid I would feel bad deducting a star from a book that prominently featured Yoda. I love Yoda.
This book wasn't bad and it did have some really funny stuff in it. My favorite part was where origami Yoda asks someone, "What a jawa is?" and the person talking to Origami Yoda says, "You know frome the first movie, the little guys that take R2D2?" and Origami Yoda responds, " More...
This book wasn't bad and it did have some really funny stuff in it. My favorite part was where origami Yoda asks someone, "What a jawa is?" and the person talking to Origami Yoda says, "You know frome the first movie, the little guys that take R2D2?" and Origami Yoda responds, " More...
Dec 07, 2010
Sabrina
rated it:
After seeing amazing reviews for this book, I finally found a copy of The Strange Case Of Origami Yoda and started reading it. I started this book with very low expectations, because I thought it would not be the book for me, but I was still curious enough to read the book. Surprisingly, it was pretty good! This book was basically about Dwight, a sixth grader who does weird things. But, the only good thing about Dwight is he folds origami. One day, he pulls out his homemade Origami Yoda at a pa
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