I really thought it would be the winner, only threatened by Kneebone Boy. I wanted to say, "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is going to win" in my last CYBILS post, but that wouldn't have been fair! I'm re-reading it tomorrow with five adorable seventh grade boys (no, that's not an oxymoron!) as part of our school-wide book clubs (topic for another post, perhaps). Congratulations to all the CYBILS winners!Anyway, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.....
Here's the blurb I wrote as a CYBILS panelist:
"There are kids all over McQuarrie Middle School who believe Origami Yoda can tell the future. Others think he's just a stupid finger puppet made by the 6th grade's biggest loser, Dwight. Tommy HAS to know the truth. He has to know if Origami Yoda is real before he makes a complete fool of himself. Tommy reasons that Origami Yoda MUST be the real thing because there is no way a loser like Dwight could ever offer such great advice. Still, what if he takes Origami Yoda's advice and makes a fool of himself? In order to find out, Tommy opens a case file where his classmates explain their experiences with Origami Yoda's Jedi-like advice. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda will delight readers. It's filled with humor, great characters, a unique plot and the occasional glimpse of the force at work. Read it, you must."
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Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age: 9-12
Pages: 160
Themes: Friendship, Uniqueness,Making Decisions
Character Development: Good
Plot Engagement: Excellent
Originality: Excellent
Believability: Excellent
Awards: CYBILS Middle Grade Fiction Winner
Thank You to publisher, Amulet Books, for my copy
Date: March 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0810984257
BUY The Strange Case of Origami Yoda HERE
Visit the really cool site HERE
Folding Instructions and links to more origami Star Wars HERE
Better yet... Watch author Tom Angleberger talk you through the process:
Interview with author Tom Angleberger on StarWars.com HERE (He reveals the next book title!!!)
Lesson/Discussion Ideas:
1. Great for teaching point of view! Have students discuss the various character's points of view. Similarities, Differences, Etc...
2. One character, Dwight, is 'different.' Discussions on tolerance, bullying & being true to one's uniqueness would work well when analyzing him.
3. Investigate how the book's cover was developed (a inside look at book designing, in general) on Mishaps & Adventures: HERE.
5. If you really wanna' drive your students crazy, see if they can solve this puzzle from a quote Tom Angleberger gave to interviewer Madelyn Rosenberg, "The story I heard was that the person in charge of approving books at Lucasfilm took the book home for her son to read. And the son read it and said, “Let them do it.” That kid’s name is hidden in the book as a secret thank-you."
6. If you really want to get wild in the classroom, research Chubby Checker's "The Twist" and have a twist contest!
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