Emperor Pickletine rides the bus

The seventh grade of McQuarrie Middle School hits Washington, D.C., in this final installment of the popular Origami Yoda series. Exciting as a field trip is, the Rebel Alliance is reeling because Principal Rabbski has banned origami for the entire trip! Comical scheming ensues as students pick (and regret) their bus buddies, and amid the chaos, Harvey smuggles aboard an evil, smelly puppet: Emperor Pickletine! Can his fellow students withstand his taunts to draw them to the Sour Side without the help of the origami Alliance? Luckily, Dwight has brought a bag of very foldable Fruit Roll-Ups with him and Fruitigami Yoda makes his debut. Characters and content mature in this book, as many students go from buddies to couples, but Angleberger's characteristic humor remains in abundant supply, and there are plenty of museum high jinks to entertain the less romantically inclined. Origami Yoda has an earth-shattering revelation or two to impart before the book's end, making for a fitting series conclusion.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2014 Booklist

Gr 4-6-The fateful day has finally arrived for the seventh graders at McQuarrie Middle School to embark on their much-anticipated field trip to Washington, DC, their reward for defeating the FunTime Menace back in Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue (Abrams/Amulet, 2014). When cell phones and origami (and paper altogether) are banned on the trip by Principal Rabbski, and "bus buddies" are mandated, the kids are anxious that things might turn "nostrul" (awful). Tommy and the gang open a new case file chronicling their ups and downs, with Kellen adding the riotous illustrations. Smuggled cell phones and lime Fruit Roll-Ups used to create Fruitigami Yoda may save the day, but Harvey threatens to sour everyone's plans with his smuggled evil origami, Emperor Pickletine (with real pickle head). Chaperones include Mr. Good Clean Fun (along with his monkey puppet, Soapy) and dreaded Mr. Howell, who seems destined to thwart any possible fun. Can the students avoid the standardized tests? Will Fruitigami Yoda conquer Emperor Pickletine? As Angleberger brings the wildly popular series to a close (or does he?), age-appropriate boy-girl relationships are explored, and most of the story lines are wrapped up. As in the previous titles, instructions to make the origami figures are included, and this installment also includes an entertaining chart showing the effects of Origami Yoda on all of the pertinent characters. Fans of the series won't want to miss the satisfying conclusion, but new readers should start at the beginning.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The final episode featuring the McQuarrie Middle School crew finds the friends on a field trip to Washington, DC. But the trip is in trouble before it begins when Principal Rabbski institutes a "No Origami rule." Angleberger nicely concludes the mystery of Origami Yoda with an ending that will make readers feel as though they are maturing along with the characters. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A daylong field trip without origami? Nostrul! Er, awful!Tommy and his fellow seventh-grade Star Wars (and origami) fanatics are ready to go on the field trip they worked so hard to get reinstated in Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue (2014), but despite her softened stance, Principal Rabbski imposes a rule banning origami on the trip. Tommy and company open a new case file to chronicle how (or if) they will survive the trip. The students take turns narrating, recording the mistakes, the misunderstandings, the secret cellphones and secret origamithankfully Dwight, customary custodian of Origami Yoda, brought plenty of lime fruit roll-ups to create Fruitigami Yoda. However, disbeliever Harvey has smuggled his evil origami Emperor Pickletine (with real pickle head) on the trip, and he's Tommy's bus buddy. Will Harvey drive him crazy? Will Tommy get to kiss Sara? Will Fruitigami Yoda be as helpful as his origami incarnation? And what of those standardized tests the students fought so hard against? The final Origami Yoda case file has all the answers! Angleberger closes his six-plus-volume (there is a companion origami manual with stories) series of doodle-filled Star Wars paeans with an enjoyable, funny and realistic denouement that nicely wraps up most of the series storylines. Age-appropriate boy-girl relationships add to the authenticity of the characters, who will soon be eighth graders. One last time: "stooky!" (Er, "fantastic!") (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 9-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The seventh grade of McQuarrie Middle School hits Washington, D.C., in this final installment of the popular Origami Yoda series. Exciting as a field trip is, the Rebel Alliance is reeling because Principal Rabbski has banned origami for the entire trip! Comical scheming ensues as students pick (and regret) their bus buddies, and amid the chaos, Harvey smuggles aboard an evil, smelly puppet: Emperor Pickletine! Can his fellow students withstand his taunts to draw them to the Sour Side without the help of the origami Alliance? Luckily, Dwight has brought a bag of very foldable Fruit Roll-Ups with him and Fruitigami Yoda makes his debut. Characters and content mature in this book, as many students go from buddies to couples, but Angleberger's characteristic humor remains in abundant supply, and there are plenty of museum high jinks to entertain the less romantically inclined. Origami Yoda has an earth-shattering revelation or two to impart before the book's end, making for a fitting series conclusion. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Gr 4–6—The fateful day has finally arrived for the seventh graders at McQuarrie Middle School to embark on their much-anticipated field trip to Washington, DC, their reward for defeating the FunTime Menace back in Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue (Abrams/Amulet, 2014). When cell phones and origami (and paper altogether) are banned on the trip by Principal Rabbski, and "bus buddies" are mandated, the kids are anxious that things might turn "nostrul" (awful). Tommy and the gang open a new case file chronicling their ups and downs, with Kellen adding the riotous illustrations. Smuggled cell phones and lime Fruit Roll-Ups used to create Fruitigami Yoda may save the day, but Harvey threatens to sour everyone's plans with his smuggled evil origami, Emperor Pickletine (with real pickle head). Chaperones include Mr. Good Clean Fun (along with his monkey puppet, Soapy) and dreaded Mr. Howell, who seems destined to thwart any possible fun. Can the students avoid the standardized tests? Will Fruitigami Yoda conquer Emperor Pickletine? As Angleberger brings the wildly popular series to a close (or does he?), age-appropriate boy-girl relationships are explored, and most of the story lines are wrapped up. As in the previous titles, instructions to make the origami figures are included, and this installment also includes an entertaining chart showing the effects of Origami Yoda on all of the pertinent characters. Fans of the series won't want to miss the satisfying conclusion, but new readers should start at the beginning.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA