Origami Yoda, Darth Paper, and me

Star Wars and origami? What’s not to love?! This series is awesome and I would like to thank Tom Angleberger. Maybe I’ll tweet at him later! For anyone who has not read this series, it’s about McQuarrie Middle School, a group of preteen boys, and their fascination with a piece of paper folded to look like the green beloved Star Wars character Yoda. Around McQuarrie Middle School they call him Origami Yoda. Origami Yoda gives advice, sees the future and basically makes middle school a lot easier for everyone willing to listen to him. I know what you’re thinking, how can a piece of folded green paper talk? Well, Origami Yoda rests on the finger of the school’s weirdest kid, Dwight, but Dwight does not give the advice, Origami Yoda does.

The whole first book, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, is a case file put together by Tommy, one of the boys going to McQuarrie. Tommy went around to most of the 6th graders in school and asked them to share their experience with Origami Yoda, and whether or not they think he is real. Tommy then allows his very skeptical friend Harvey to comment after each story, explaining why Origami Yoda is just a big fake. After he collects his evidence, Tommy decides at the end of the book whether or not he thinks Origami Yoda is real.

What I really like about the first book is the writing style. It really is almost like someone is presenting their case for trial. The main writer, Tommy, is very good about not having a bias, even though he gets really frustrated with his rude friend Harvey. Tommy, in my opinion, is one of the characters in this book that young kids can really look forward to becoming when they are in middle school. He makes mistakes occasionally, but Tommy is a good friend who sticks up for “the weird one” Dwight even when Dwight gets really annoying. Tommy learns not to care about being friends with the weird kid and that sometimes the people you’re closest with can be the one’s tearing you down the most (aka Harvey.) Though the kids in this book are 6th graders, I think 3rd-5th graders could most benefit from this book because it could give them something to look forward to. Middle school really is the worst, so if there is any sort of hope that we can give future middle schoolers, we need to provide it!

One thing I didn’t like was Harvey’s character. Harvey is actually really mean, and I found myself hating a 6th grader (applause to Angleberger.) Though Harvey is a really well written villain of sorts, I think some kids could very easily resignate with him, and want to be like him. Tommy is the protagonist and Harvey is the antagonist. Tommy, though heroic in proving Dwight right, is not more heroic than Harvey is mean, rude and downright evil. In other words, Harvey’s meanness is much more prominent than Tommy’s niceness. It just worries me that kids might see this and want to be more like Harvey, despite Tommy’s overall triumph. The world does not need more Harvey’s. Harvey’s are bad. DO NOT BE A HARVEY!

Though I have not finished it yet, the second book, Darth Paper Strikes Back, is written in the same style as the first, though this time Harvey has made an origami Darth Vader called “Darth Paper.” Tommy writes this case file for the school board in hopes that he will be able to save Dwight from expulsion from McQuarrie Middle School. The stories are similar to that of the first book, but now there is a very distinct villain, Harvey, who everyone thinks ratted on Dwight to get him expelled. I think this book is more interesting than the first because there is a much more developed mystery right from the beginning.

Something that is really accurate in both books is the awkwardness of middle school. Both books involve secret girl crushes as well as an understanding of who your real friends are, despite their weird quirks. I know I can relate to the awkwardness involved in the middle school romantic relationships, and though I had great friends in middle school, I think I needed more real friends in high school. The Origami Yoda series is a great transitioning book for a difficult and strange time in every kids life.

Either of these books could be used in a classroom, especially because of their structure. I would have my students use the short story style of this series and have them write a one story case file about anything they would like. It could be about why they think dogs are better than cats, or whatever they want. They could add drawings or pictures too to make it more creative. This project would probably be for 4th or 5th graders, but it could be modified with more or less writing for older or younger grades.