The Strange Case of Origami Yoda facts for kids
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| Author | Tom Angleberger |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's book Realistic Fiction |
| Published | 2010 Amulet Books |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 141 pages |
| ISBN | 0-8109-8425-3 |
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is a fun children's book. It was written by Tom Angleberger and came out on March 1, 2010. The story is about a boy named Tommy. He wants to find out if his classmate Dwight's origami Yoda puppet is real. Or is it just a trick? This book was the first in a popular series. The series is based on Star Wars and has many books. Some of them are Darth Paper Strikes Back! and The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee. There is also an activity book called ART2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda was nominated for an award. It was chosen for the Illinois State 2013 Rebecca Caudil Award.
Contents
The Story of Origami Yoda
Dwight is a sixth-grade student. He goes to McQuarrie Middle School. People think he is a bit unusual. One day, Dwight makes a small paper puppet. It is Yoda, a famous character from Star Wars. Dwight then uses a special voice for Yoda. He starts giving advice to his classmates through the puppet.
Some students at McQuarrie Middle School begin to believe. They think Origami Yoda has a real connection to the Force. But other students are not so sure. Tommy, another sixth-grader, decides to investigate. He wants to prove if Origami Yoda is truly real. Tommy starts a "case file" to collect evidence. He asks other students to write about their experiences. His friend Kellen helps by drawing pictures for the file.
However, there is a student named Harvey. Harvey is often mean to Dwight. He doubts that Origami Yoda is wise. Harvey tries to show that Origami Yoda is not connected to the Force.
How the Book Was Inspired
Tom Angleberger, the author, shared his ideas. He said part of the book's inspiration came from an Origami artist. This artist is Fumiaki Kawahata. His origami Yoda designs have been seen online. The unique writing style of Star Wars also helped inspire the book.
The name of the school, McQuarrie Middle School, is a tribute. It refers to a Star Wars artist named Ralph McQuarrie. He greatly influenced Angleberger's work.
Meet the Main Characters
The main characters in The Strange Case of Origami Yoda are Tommy, Dwight, Kellen, Yoda, and Harvey.
Darth Paper
Darth Paper is a paper puppet. He was created by Harvey Cunningham. Harvey is a character who causes trouble in the second book. That book is called Darth Paper Strikes Back. Darth Paper teases Tommy. He also causes Dwight to get suspended from school. He is part of a big secret plan. Later, he changes and becomes Origami Anakin.
Origami Yoda
Origami Yoda is Dwight's finger puppet. Dwight brings him to McQuarrie Middle School. He is known for being able to guess the future. He does this by using the "force." The book gives instructions on how to fold a simple origami Yoda. It does not show how to fold the exact one Dwight made. The next book, Darth Paper Strikes Back, has instructions for a five-fold origami Yoda.
Harvey Cunningham
Harvey is a main character who causes problems. He is in the first two books. Harvey has one main goal. He wants to prove that Origami Yoda is not real. Harvey often complains and insults people. He is the one who created Darth Paper. He also brags that his Darth Vader voice is better than Dwight's Yoda voice.
At the start of the first book, Harvey was Tommy and Kellen's best friend. But they stopped being friends with him. They were tired of him criticizing everyone. Harvey writes a comment at the end of almost every story in the case file. In the third book, Harvey starts to help Tommy, Kellen, and Dwight. He even adds his own story to the mini Dwight Case File.
Principal Rabbski
Principal Rabbski is the principal of McQuarrie Middle School. She is a main character who causes problems in some books. These include The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee and The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett. She wants students to focus on basic subjects. This is so they can do well on their tests. In a later book, Princess Labelmaker, she changes her mind and helps the students. She is Polish American.
The Origami Yoda Series
Five more books have been released after the first one. There is also an activity book.
Darth Paper Strikes Back!
This book was published in 2011. It is the first sequel. Darth Paper Strikes Back takes place one year after the first book. The book includes instructions for a simpler version of Darth Paper. It also shows how to make a 5-fold Origami Yoda.
The story is about a tough time at Ralph McQuarrie Middle School. Harvey causes problems for Dwight. He gets Dwight suspended from school. Origami Yoda asks Tommy and Kellen for help. They need to create a new case file. This file will show that Dwight helps the school. Tommy and Kellen gather stories from their friends. But Harvey and his Darth Paper puppet have a secret plan. This plan could make Dwight's suspension permanent.
The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee
This book was published in 2012. It is the third book in the series. The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee happens right after Darth Paper Strikes Back!.
Here is what the story is about: Dwight is now at a different school. The kids at McQuarrie are on their own. They have no Yoda to help them. Then Sara gets a gift from Dwight. It is a cootie catcher shaped like Chewbacca. It is a Fortune Wookiee. It seems to give good advice, just like Yoda. But when the girls use it, it talks a lot about romance. Meanwhile, Dwight is fitting in too well at his new school. His old friends at McQuarrie need to remind him. They want him to remember that his unique ways make him great.
This book includes instructions. You can learn to make Chewbacca Fortune Wookiee and Han Foldo finger puppets.
ART2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling
This is an activity book. It was published in 2013. The book has a story that connects four main parts. These parts show how to draw and make origami characters. The characters are from the book series. The book also comes with special origami paper. It is not part of the main story series. But it introduces new origami characters. These include C3PO, Art2D2, and Harvey's Darth Paper.
The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett!
This book was published in 2013. It is the fourth book in the Origami Yoda series. The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett! happens almost right after The Secret of The Fortune Wookiee.
Here is what the story is about: Things are difficult at McQuarrie Middle School. Dwight is back, which is good timing. Kellen, Sara, and their friends face a new problem. It is called the FunTime Educational Program. FunTime is supposed to help students get better test scores. But instead, it makes everyone at McQuarrie crazy. This is because of Professor FunTime and his singing calculator. Principal Rabbski cancels fun activities. She cancels field trips, art, music, and Lego classes. She does this to make time for FunTime. The students ask Origami Yoda for help. But some problems are too big for Origami Yoda alone. The students must form a Rebel Alliance.
This book includes instructions. You can learn to make Ewok and Jabba the Puppett finger puppets.
Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue
The FunTime problem is still not solved. A mysterious character appears. Her name is Princess Labelmaker. She gives a case file to Principal Rabbski. The file explains that FunTime is bad. It also asks Rabbski for help. Later, Principal Rabbski collects Princess Labelmaker. At a meeting, Rabbski and the students fight the school board. They save their fun classes and their field trip. But who was Princess Labelmaker?
The book shows how to fold Luke and Leia. Some copies also show how to fold Obi-Wan.
Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus
This is the last book in the series. It finishes the story. The book has instructions for making Emperor Pickletine. It also shows how to make Flying Vader. This book also includes all the characters that have been in the series.
