The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.

Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From School Library Journal

March 1, 2011

Gr 3-6-Sixth grader Tommy and his friends face gym class jitters, embarrassing nicknames, and considerable girl anxiety. They need the wisdom of a Jedi master just to make it through the day. When Tommy's weird classmate Dwight shows up at school with an origami Yoda finger puppet and suggests that Tommy and his friends check in with the Yoda when they have difficult situations to deal with or tough decisions to make. The Yoda's advice is so good that the friends can't imagine that it is coming from oddball Dwight and Tommy decides to investigate. Tom Angleberger's novel (Amulet Books, 2010) 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 in the audio format. Five actors voice Tommy, Kellen, Quavondo, Sara, and resident skeptic Harvey with varying degrees of believable immaturity. The case is never resolved, and listeners are left to decide for themselves whether Origami Yoda is merely Dwight's dummy or if somehow the finger puppet is actually using the Force.-Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, MD

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2010
Uncertain whether or not classmate Dwight's advice-dispensing finger puppet is real, sixth grader Tommy gathers first-hand accounts of how Origami Yoda helped other kids. It's doubtful that oddball Dwight could be behind so many social triumphs, but Tommy builds an amusing case, accompanied by doodle-like illustrations, for Origami Yoda's wisdom and lets readers decide for themselves.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

May 1, 2010
Gr 3-6-For Tommy, the only question is whether or not Origami Yoda is real. Of course he's real as a small puppet on Dwight's finger. But does the oracle possess magic power? In order to find out, he decides to compile scientific evidence from the experiences of those who asked Origami Yoda for help. His friend Harvey is invited to comment on each story because he thinks Yoda is nothing but a "green paper wad." Tommy also comments because he's supposedly trying to solve the puzzle. In actuality, the story is about boys and girls in sixth grade trying to figure out how being social works. In fact, Tommy says, "]it's about this really cool girl, Sara, and whether or not I should risk making a fool of myself for her." The situations that Yoda has a hand in are pretty authentic, and the setting is broad enough to be any school. The plot is age-old but with the twist of being presented on crumpled pages with cartoon sketches, supposed hand printing, and varying typefaces. Kids should love it."Sheila Fiscus, Our Lady of Peace School, Erie, PA"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

May 1, 2010
Grades 4-6 Tommy and his friends think that Dwight is a weirdo whos 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 structured as a collection of stories gathered by Tommy and told by kids who either believe or dont. See, Tommy has a more vested interest than just idle curiosityhe is dying to know if he can trust Yodas advice about asking the cute girl to dance with him at the PTA Fun Night. Origami Yodaa sort of talking cootie catcheris the kind of thing that can dominate all those free moments in school for a few weeks. Anglebergers rendering of such a middle-grade cultural obsession is not only spot-on but also reveals a few resonant surprises hidden in the folds. Naturally, Yoda-making instructions are included.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

From Publisher's Weekly

March 15, 2010
“Is Origami Yoda real?” is the question that plagues sixth-grader Tommy and drives the plot of this snappy debut. From one perspective, Origami Yoda is a finger puppet that offers cryptic but oddly sage advice to Tommy and his classmates. From another, he is simply the “green paperwad” animated by Tommy's misfit friend, Dwight, who “wear shorts with his socks pulled up above his knees” and stares into space “like a hypnotized chicken.” Compiling a series of funny, first-person accounts of Yoda's wisdom from his friends, Tommy hopes to solve this mystery to determine whether to trust Yoda's advice about asking a certain girl to dance. Angleberger peppers his chapters with spot-on boy banter, humorously crude Captain Underpants–style drawings, and wisecrack asides that comically address the social land mines of middle school. Tommy confronts the ethical dilemma of standing up for the weird kid and the angst of school dances: “My hands were shaking and my stomach was excited like the time my dad accidentally drove into a fire hydrant.” But with enigmatic counsel like “Cheetos for everyone you must buy,” Yoda keeps the mystery alive. Ages 8–12.

From AudioFile Magazine

Is Origami Yoda real? Who would trust the advice proffered by an origami figure perched on the finger of the class nerd? This is the big question facing Tommy and his middle school friends as Tommy documents the experiences of classmates who have sought guidance from Dwight's Origami Yoda. The cast of multiple narrators heightens the story's humor. The narrator who portrays Tommy has a knack for taking listeners into his confidence. Listeners find themselves in the midst of middle school, experiencing each droll situation firsthand--from school dances to the boys' bathroom. The throaty Yoda issues his pronouncements such as "speed must you have" or "rush in fools do" with amusing combinations of pacing and tone. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine