The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (2010) is a comedic novel for middle-grade readers by Tom Angleberger. In the novel, a sixth-grader’s folded-paper Yoda puppet gives advice that’s so good it causes a sensation, generates mischief and mayhem, and changes children’s lives. The first of six books in the bestselling Origami Yoda series by Tom Angleberger, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda explores how an eccentric boy can transmit wisdom that’s startlingly on-point.

In addition to the Origami Yoda books, Angleberger has written more than a dozen other works for young readers, including The Princess and the Pit Stop (2018) and Qwikpick Adventure Society (2007).

The eBook version of the 2015 Amulet Paperbacks Edition forms the basis for this study guide.

Plot Summary

With help from several friends, sixth-grader Tommy Lomax assembles a written case study about a mysterious puppet that gives great advice. It’s made from a piece of paper that’s folded, origami-style, to look like Yoda from Star Wars. The creator is Dwight Tharp, an eccentric, socially awkward, “uncool” student whom nobody much likes but who’s really good at origami. Dwight walks up to students who are in some kind of bind and tells them to ask Yoda for advice. They do, and Dwight answers, in a bad imitation of Yoda’s voice. Strangely, the puppet’s suggestions work very well.

At a school social event, Tommy is finally going to ask a girl for a dance when Dwight’s puppet says he’s about to make a mistake. Moments later, the girl’s boyfriend arrives and kisses her. One morning just before homeroom, Tommy’s friend Kellen Campbell accidentally spills water onto his lap so it looks like he peed on himself. Dwight appears with Yoda, who advises Kellen to splash water all over his pants and shirt; this gets him through homeroom without embarrassment.

Mike tries too hard to get a hit in softball; he nearly always strikes out and bursts into angry tears. Yoda tells him to give up his hatred, as it only leads to the dark side. Mike relaxes at bat and begins to get on base. Though he continues mainly to strike out, he no longer resents that other boys are better at softball, and he stops crying about it.

For no particular reason, Origami Yoda tells everyone at school that they must learn the Twist. Kids look it up: It’s a dance from decades earlier. Sara Bolt’s grandmother teaches her and her friends how to do the dance, and it’s a great experience for everyone. Harvey Cunningham mocks Sara for it, but Tommy also learns the dance and defends her. Sara is Tommy’s crush.

Tommy has mixed feelings about Dwight: Dwight is really good at some things, but he can be “weird”—he lies down in odd places, once wore the same t-shirt for a month, sported a cape for a while, and cracks his knuckles really loudly—and he says things that make people feel awkward. Tommy sides with Harvey and votes Dwight off their lunch table. Later he feels badly about it, and Dwight returns.

Cassie accidentally breaks Mr. Snider’s bust of Shakespeare. She hides the pieces and asks Origami Yoda what to do. Yoda says she should make a new bust, so she gets some cans of Play-Doh and uses the broken pieces to shape the replacement. It’s red and blue. It makes Mr. Snider laugh and forgive her.

A new vampire movie comes out, and Yoda says it’s terrible. Dwight himself says it’ll be great, but everyone who goes decides it’s awful. Tommy wonders how Dwight could ignore his own puppet’s prediction.

Marcie, an eighth-grader who wants to win a spelling bee, asks Origami Yoda for a word she’ll need in the contest. Yoda says he must look into the future and will tell her the next day; Marcie, irritated, insults the puppet. The next day, Yoda says the word is “mulct”; she duly studies it and assumes that’s all the prep she needs. At the contest, she misspells another word and gets eliminated; mulct is never used. Tommy thinks Yoda got back at Marcie for insulting him: Mulct means to punish or trick someone.

During the sixth graders’ field trip to the zoo, Quavondo Phan and others try to buy some Cheetos from a vending machine. The teacher halts them, then allows just Quavondo to buy a bag. All the kids swarm him, wanting some. In a panic, Quavondo crams them all into his mouth. Thereafter, he’s called Cheeto Hog.

Wishing to get rid of this humiliating name, he asks Yoda’s advice. The puppet tells him to buy bags of Cheetos for every sixth grader and hand them out at the next assembly. Quavondo protests that this will get him in trouble, but Yoda says trouble is even better. Quavondo buys dozens of bags of Cheetos, hands them out at the assembly, and duly receives an in-school suspension and other punishments. The kids hail him as a hero, and they stop calling him Cheeto Hog.

Caroline Broome asks Yoda for advice: Zack broke her brand-new pencils, the ones her grandmother just gave her that have her name printed on them. Yoda whispers to Dwight, who says he’ll take care of it. That afternoon, Dwight attacks Zack but gets beaten up and suspended. Later, he appears at school wearing a ridiculously ugly sweater-vest, hoping to make Caroline laugh while he gifts her with a new set of pencils with her name on them. The other boys bug him about the vest, though, and spoil the surprise.

Yoda informs the kids about a pop quiz later that day. Sara, Tommy, and Kellen study for it, but Sara feels guilty, as if they’re cheating. The test goes off as scheduled, but Sara later tells the teacher that she knew about the test. He says he didn’t know he’d give the test until the last moment, when he realized he didn’t have his teaching materials and needed something to fill the empty hour. Sara wonders whether Yoda can read the future.

Sometimes Yoda disappoints or embarrasses the questioner. Kellen, who likes Rhondella Carrasquilla, gets her to ask Yoda a question. She asks why Kellen bugs her, and Yoda says Kellen wants to kiss her. One person asks for advice on winning a particular video game; Yoda suggests reading a good book instead. Someone else wants to know what to do about their flyaway hair, and Yoda suggests going bald like him. Still another asks if he’s seen the online video of Chewbacca dancing with a Jawa, but Yoda doesn’t know what a Jawa is.

Tommy asks if Sara dislikes him; Yoda replies by asking why he thinks that. Tommy and Dwight argue, and Tommy calls Dwight a “loser.” Dwight, angry, crumples up Yoda, throws it away, says now he’s “normal,” and bursts into tears. Harvey builds an origami Yoda that’s fancier than Dwight’s, but it gives cruel answers: For instance, it says Sara laughs at Tommy. Dwight builds a new Yoda, and it tells Tommy that Sara does like him. Harvey says his Yoda is better, so Dwight’s Yoda suggests a duel: If Tommy asks Sara to dance at the next Fun Night and she says yes, then Dwight’s Yoda wins; if she rejects him, Harvey wins.

At the Fun Night, Tommy wants to back out of the contest, but he sees that Lance Alexander and Amy are talking, Quavondo is dancing with Cassie, Mike is dancing with Hannah, and Dwight is dancing with Caroline. He tells Dwight he’s ready, and Dwight tells him that Sara already asked Yoda about him. “The Twist” music comes on, and Tommy and Sara dance together and hold hands.

Chapters are narrated by different characters, as specified in the chapter titles. Tommy is the main narrator.