Darth Paper Strikes Back

September 19, 2011
Tommy, Dwight, and the rest of their friends from The Strange Case of Origami Yoda are back, and so is Dwight's wise, eponymous finger puppet, Origami Yoda, who has also transitioned to seventh grade. But Dwight's (and Origami Yoda's) days are numbered, as complaints about Dwight's behavior may lead to his being sent to a school for troubled youth. Following the format of the first book, Tommy and his friends compile episodic accounts that attest to Dwight/Origami Yoda's wisdom in dealing with problems that range from a classmate with terrible body odor to getting out of selling collectible popcorn tins for a school fundraiser. But antagonistic classmate Harvey, who has taken to wearing a Darth Paper finger puppet, is slowly turning the class toward the Dark Side. As with this story's predecessor, the well-observed middle-school dynamics (and Angleberger's sharp sense of humor) are greatly amplified by the book's design, which includes faux wrinkled pages, abundant doodles, and other scrawled marginalia. It's a natural step up from the Wimpy Kid series, with more text and narrative complexity, but just as much on-target humor and all-around fun. Ages 8â12.