The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (review)

Origami fortune-telling is a ubiquitous practice in elementary and middle schools, but instead of using the standard cootie catcher, the kids at McQuarrie Middle School ask their questions of Origami Yoda, an original creation of the class dork, Dwight. Tommy, the main narrator, has compiled a set of notebook-styled case files from various classmates to determine whether or not Origami Yoda is a genuine provider of advice worth following or is just another social gaffe of the unfortunate Dwight, who seems to have a special knack for being weird and embarrassing. Tommy's mean, skeptical friend, Harvey, provides mean, skeptical commentary on the cases, and his other friend, Kellen, is purportedly responsible for the spot cartoons that decorate the pages. The set-up is thus openly contrived, but it could inspire an entertaining collaborative writing activity. The stories themselves are short vignettes of typical middle-school problems that have been solved, or not, by enigmatic advice delivered in the distorted syntax for which Yoda is famous; none quite rises to the level of particularly memorable or insightful, but the happy ending, for everyone but the undeserving Harvey, raises the possibility that Dwight is as wily as he is weird and it may just inspire a new kind of respect for the class oddball. Reluctant readers will appreciate the pacing and format, and since directions for making an Origami Yoda are included, a new lunchroom craze may appear in the offing.