csparkles's review against another edition
5.0
The conclusion (or is it?!) to this series was so cute and funny! I really enjoyed how everything turned out. Origami Yoda (or should we say fruitagami Yoda?) makes a reappearance, despite the origami ban on McQuarries school field trip! This is a series I recommend to kids often because it's got a good mix of silliness and plot. It's also filled with lots of cool Star Wars references and instructions for folding your own origami Star Wars characters! The main characters are a group of middle schoolers who find themselves at the mercy of some seriously-not-fun adults who try to change their school to make it more "educational" and way less "fun!" I'd read the entire series- it's quick and tons of fun!
ubalstecha's review against another edition
4.0
The finale of the Origami Yoda series sees our heroes off on their field trip to Washington DC. But the principal has banned origami. How will the group solve problems and gain insight without their paper Star Wars characters? Some resort to some unique solutions that lead to the usual hilarity and zany situations.
As this is the finale, there is a passing of the torch in the story with a logical conclusion as to why the kids won't be consulting Yoda any more. Anglebeger, being a smart man, leaves the door open for us to follow Yoda or or Yoda to return, but the reader gets the impression that this is the last installment. The author also does one of the classiest things ever by dedicating the last ten or so pages to saying thank you to all the readers who have sent him oragami, pictures, drawings and letters. If that doesn't warm your heart, then you are an Emperor Pickletine.
Go read this.
As this is the finale, there is a passing of the torch in the story with a logical conclusion as to why the kids won't be consulting Yoda any more. Anglebeger, being a smart man, leaves the door open for us to follow Yoda or or Yoda to return, but the reader gets the impression that this is the last installment. The author also does one of the classiest things ever by dedicating the last ten or so pages to saying thank you to all the readers who have sent him oragami, pictures, drawings and letters. If that doesn't warm your heart, then you are an Emperor Pickletine.
Go read this.
emason0411's review against another edition
5.0
What a great end to a great series. Highly recommend for young and not so young. Characters are well developed and stories are entertaining, with lots of laugh out loud moments. Great books for reluctant readers, especially fans of Star Wars! Kudos to Mr. Angleberger!
stevenlikestoread's review against another edition
4.0
One Sentence Synopsis:
After finally defeating the FunTime Menace, the McQuarrie gang is rewarded with their promised school field trip that (like anything at McQuarrie) quickly takes a turn for the unexpected.
What I Loved:
This was a sweet conclusion to the Origami Yoda series and a chance to say goodbye to the characters that readers have come to know over the past 5 books. With the 7th grade characters off on their promised Washington, D.C. trip, we get to see the gang outside of their typical environment having the same misadventures as always. Principal Rabbski is along as a chaperone and bans all origami, which results in ridiculous food puns as the kids attempt to fashion their origami characters out of the snacks they brought along for the bus ride.
As a public school teacher who was reading these books, I have to say I’m a little bit obsessed with Principal Rabbski and the teachers in this book. They literally took the entire 7th grade on a field trip on the day the state standardized tests were supposed to happen. It’s only revealed in a brief scene, but the way Rabbski and the teachers stick it to the standardized testing culture that’s been ruining their school has to be one of the most badass teacher moves of middle grade literature. Or maybe that’s just my opinion… :-) Either way, I will never forget the moment she asks the students “how they did” on the tests they never took. Iconic. May real life principals be as bold.
I thought the way Tom Angleberger chose to end the series was also satisfying. The idea that Origami Yoda left to help another social outcast both preserved the mystery of his advice and gave the ending a “look how far Dwight and crew have come” aspect. While it was never explicitly stated during the series, it always seemed to me like Dwight was meant to be a young person on the autism spectrum or in some other way socially/developmentally atypical. The fact that he was an integral and needed part of the origami crew (in fact, the one who started it all!) makes me hope that many young readers get a hold of this story. Angleberger wrote a series celebrating differences cloaked in the fun of Star Wars. I’m looking forward to reading more of his books!
After finally defeating the FunTime Menace, the McQuarrie gang is rewarded with their promised school field trip that (like anything at McQuarrie) quickly takes a turn for the unexpected.
What I Loved:
This was a sweet conclusion to the Origami Yoda series and a chance to say goodbye to the characters that readers have come to know over the past 5 books. With the 7th grade characters off on their promised Washington, D.C. trip, we get to see the gang outside of their typical environment having the same misadventures as always. Principal Rabbski is along as a chaperone and bans all origami, which results in ridiculous food puns as the kids attempt to fashion their origami characters out of the snacks they brought along for the bus ride.
Spoiler
As a public school teacher who was reading these books, I have to say I’m a little bit obsessed with Principal Rabbski and the teachers in this book. They literally took the entire 7th grade on a field trip on the day the state standardized tests were supposed to happen. It’s only revealed in a brief scene, but the way Rabbski and the teachers stick it to the standardized testing culture that’s been ruining their school has to be one of the most badass teacher moves of middle grade literature. Or maybe that’s just my opinion… :-) Either way, I will never forget the moment she asks the students “how they did” on the tests they never took. Iconic. May real life principals be as bold.
I thought the way Tom Angleberger chose to end the series was also satisfying. The idea that Origami Yoda left to help another social outcast both preserved the mystery of his advice and gave the ending a “look how far Dwight and crew have come” aspect. While it was never explicitly stated during the series, it always seemed to me like Dwight was meant to be a young person on the autism spectrum or in some other way socially/developmentally atypical. The fact that he was an integral and needed part of the origami crew (in fact, the one who started it all!) makes me hope that many young readers get a hold of this story. Angleberger wrote a series celebrating differences cloaked in the fun of Star Wars. I’m looking forward to reading more of his books!
rumay's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
michelle_neuwirth_gray9311's review against another edition
4.0
I really got into this episode in the series. It was just a fun book to read. :)
theartolater's review against another edition
4.0
The final book in the Origami Yoda series is a weird, but still pleasant, finale to an otherwise great series. The story itself, as always, is solid, but this one almost feels like some extras that might have fit in earlier in the series than the end result of what was a truly great book 5.
Overall, though, how can I complain about an otherwise solid series that had a lot of good storytelling, a ton of heart, and a lot of great messages that didn't overwhelm the text? Nothing has changed about how great this series is on a whole, a solid run.
Overall, though, how can I complain about an otherwise solid series that had a lot of good storytelling, a ton of heart, and a lot of great messages that didn't overwhelm the text? Nothing has changed about how great this series is on a whole, a solid run.
mljohnson2698's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED IT!!! That ending was so great! Tommy ended up being cool and not whiny. Harvey finally made sense. Dwight is still my hero. I only wish there was more Murphy. But let's be real, plastic dinosaurs this book was stooky!
booksarethenewblack's review against another edition
3.0
You can see all my reviews here: Books Are The New Black
This one was my least favorite of them all. It’s basically of just their class trip and what happens. I felt like it was just thrown together and not really a great plot. I did find this one a bit boring.
This one was my least favorite of them all. It’s basically of just their class trip and what happens. I felt like it was just thrown together and not really a great plot. I did find this one a bit boring.
wjd1980's review against another edition
5.0
This series reminded me of my middle school years so much it evoked nostalgia for even the worst days. Great read for all ages. P.S. Tom Angleberger is a great speaker as well as an author.