The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

by Tom Angleberger
ages: 9+
First sentence: "The big question: Is Origami Yoda real?"
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Two quick things about this book before I get started: 1) I cannot spell origami right to save my life (thank heavens for spell check!). And 2) I have not seen a more cleverly designed book in a long, long time. All the way through, from the cover to the end pages, it's just a delight to look at. The only thing that would have made it better was if the little drawings on the bottom corners would have been a flip drawing. That would have been really cool.

Sixth-grader Tommy has a problem: see, Dwight -- the really uncool kid who's only saving grace is that he's good at origami -- has made this Origami Yoda that's been giving advice out. And, interestingly enough it's really good advice, even though Dwight is horribly annoying and not at all someone you want to take advice from. So, Tommy has asked Origami Yoda a question about a girl he's had a crush on the entire year, and it's imperative -- mostly so he won't make a complete fool of himself -- that he figure out if Origami Yoda is really real or if he's just a hoax. In a series of "interviews" and "testimonies" the story of Origami Yoda comes out, and if you're not believing in the power of the Yoda by the end, then you're completely heartless. (Yes, I still believe in the magic of Santa. Why do you ask?)

It's an interesting concept, and as an adult there was much to think about, especially with Dwight: does he have aspergers? (He's good at math, but nothing else; he has a hard time in social situations; he's always acting up weirdly.) Or is it just an 11-year-old misfit's way of trying to fit in? It's difficult to tell because it's told through the point of view of an outsider -- which was brilliant, by the way: it added to the mystique of Origami Yoda -- but there's some intriguing questions there. Other than that, aside from Tommy, most of the characters are very... 11-year-old boy. Which keeps the book real, I think. And the characters are almost beside the point: it's really about Origami Yoda and making things work out for the best.

It's also got kid appeal, as well: C really liked it; she thought it was fun and interesting. And that's what really matters, in the end.

The Dancing Pancake

by Eileen Spinelli
ages: 9+
First sentence: "I am on the front lawn making snow angels with Albert Poole."
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This is a sweet little novel in verse. Although it addresses some deep issues: parents separating, homelessness, friendship, it does so in a very unassuming way. It's hardly angst-ridden, or even very sad; it's very much the way you assume it will be from the cover and title: it's a world where everything will work out, if you just give it time.

The winter Bindi is eleven, her father leaves. She doesn't think much of it, until her mom and aunt and uncle start saying things like "he's not coming back" and "we need time apart". Then her mom sells the house and opens a restaurant, moving them into the apartment above. None of this meets with Bindi's approval, and she spends the bulk of the story just learning to accept her new life without being a complete grump about it.

There really isn't much else to say about this. It was nice. The illustrations, I felt, were almost superfluous, and distracting: I had a picture of Bindi in my mind and the illustrations kept distracting me from it. I'm not sure if there was a moral -- perhaps just hang on through the tough times? -- but it felt like the sort of book that wanted to have one. The characters were nice, but not really gripping. The situations were fun, but not really moving. And so, in the end, it was just kind of nice and sweet but not quite much else. (Kind of like pancakes, huh?)

North of Beautiful

by Justina Chen Headley
ages: 14+
First sentence: "Not to brag or anything, but if you saw me from behind, you'd probably think I was perfect."
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At first glance, Terra is your average 16 year old. But, you get close and the first thing most anyone notices is the port wine stain that covers most of one side of her face. Her parents have spent lots of money trying to remove the stain, all to no avail, and Terra spends her time trying to hide it: through her otherwise perfect body, through make up, through pushing herself to get through high school a year early, through her art (though she doesn't share that). She lives a half-existence, mostly because of her controlling father (it's flat out emotional abuse -- of both her and her mother -- and it's the most hateful thing I've read in a long, long time); she's never good enough, beautiful enough, to satisfy him.

That is, until Terra and her mother meet Jacob and his. It was a freak accident (literally), but it was one that will change the map of Terra and her mother's life.

The first part was incredibly difficult, emotionally, to get through: I literally wanted to scream at Terra's dad. Headley did such a fantastic job of portraying not only an abuser -- he never hit anyone, but he was an abuser all the same -- but the way the victims of the abuse would react. It was real, and it was literally very heavy to read; I can't come up with any better way to describe it.

But the second half, when Terra and her mother get brave enough to go to China, is lighter. It feels lighter, like a weight has been lifted, and it's amazing to watch the women bloom. Headley does a masterful job with characterization in this book, and it's not just about Terra: both she and her mother make distinct, yet similar, journeys to find themselves. It's a treatise on beauty, and the expectations of what beauty is. It's an exploration of abuse, but it's a hopeful one; perhaps healing can be done in the family. But, it's also a real story: there are real consequences, real emotions, real characters.

And a really good book.

Carter's Big Break

by Brent Crawford
ages: 14+
First sentence: "On the last day of school, I'm happily strolling down the hall after Mr. Rumpford's ridiculously hard algebra final."
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I picked this one up, initially, because the inscription on the back made me laugh:

Warning: This book is intended for immature audiences. If you find teen guys annoying and/or disgusting, this may not be the book for you. There's gotta be something about a cute wizard or moody vampire around here... Go find it!

I kept reading it because, like Carter Finally Gets It, this one is very guy. Very guy. And yet, it's also very sweet. Crawford walks the line between immature and wise incredibly well, and manages to tell a good story with a lot of heart. I know: don't tell the guys.

Carter's made it through his freshman year, coming out in style: he's passed his classes, starred in the musical, has a girlfriend. All he wants to do is hang with his "boys" at the pool this summer. And, of course, karma/fate/adults get in his way. Turns out that a local boy who's made it big is filming a movie of his book in town, and he wants to cast locals as the lead. Carter tries out, and -- because he's just lucky -- gets the lead opposite the famous starlet Hilary Idaho (side note: how lame a name is that? Totally obvious, but it works.). There goes the easy summer he'd planned.

At first, working on a movie and hanging out with Hilary is totally awesome, but things go sour pretty quick (because it is Carter after all). Carter's girlfriend, Abby, breaks up with him. Hilary is a lot to manage, to say the least. The whole movie-making experience isn't quite what it's cracked up to be. And he decided, for better or worse (generally the latter), that he's much to "good" for his family. Of course there will be a lot of mishaps along the way. Of course things will work out for the best in the end. And of course you will find yourself rooting for Carter whole heartedly. Because, even though he's very guy, he's what makes this book completely worth reading. (Even if you're a mom of four girls and are terrified by the guyness of it all.) Crawford has created a character so honest, so real, and so unpretentious (and yes, there are stereotypes in there, and yes, I like most of the girls as well, especially his sister, Lynne) that you can't help but enjoy the journey.

And that means I'm quite interested to see what happens to Carter next.

Sunday Salon/Weekly Geeks: Guess the Author

This week's Geek (it's been a LONG time since I've participated!) is a fun one:

"Post pictures of authors that answer the questions listed below, but without saying who they were. Then Weekly Geek visitors should guess, by leaving a comment, who they think those authors are."

I'm going to make it a little easy on you; all the authors are of books that are currently on my nightstand.



Have fun guessing; answers will go up on Friday!