Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue Tom Angleberger

When we last saw our origami alliance, fighting against the FunTime(™) menace, Rabbski had promised to “look into it” but it’s been weeks and nothing has changed. But this time, someone has taken the case file and given it to Principal Rabbski. With her own origami finger puppet.

Yes, Principal Rabbski IS Princess Leia (what?!). Whoever gave the case file to Rabbski knows that she did not force FunTime(™) on the school--she’s another victim, but whoever did it also knows that the case file is the only way for Rabbski to see that the Rebel Alliance isn’t fighting this just to fighting this, but to show they they have very real concerns and they’re trying to address in the most responsible way they can.

As we saw with Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, this is a series that continues to grow really well and is just getting consistently stronger, which I didn’t think possible, but bam! there it is. I also like how it explored the deeper issue. The kids (and I think most of target-audience readers) would see this thing as imposed by Rabbski, because she's the highest authority they see, but she answers to someone else, and it's a good lesson/reminder that when it comes to educational policy, not a lot of it is set at the school level. (Also, I LOVE the tweets from the actors in FunTime(™).)

Oh... coming out in a few weeks is Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus, the LAST book in the series.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Attack of Jabba the Puppett

Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett: An Origami Yoda Book Tom Angleberger

The Fun Time Menace has fully descended on McQuarrie Middle School. All electives have been cancelled and the kids are instead being forced to watch horrible videos (featuring rapping calculators) teach them how to do basic math they already understand.

A Rebel Alliance is needed.

There are a ton of new origami Star Wars characters introduced in this one as Tommy & Co. recruit members to their cause to get rid of FunTime. They’re smart about it--they use math to know how to throw the test to show that FunTime wasn’t effective--if X number of kids fail, then they can get rid of it for next year. They also find ways to work some of their missing electives back in.

The problem is that even though the kids are actually being rather reasonable, Principal Rabbski’s not really listening to them, and they’ll need help from some very unexpected places to get their point across.

I really like the turn the series took. It’s about a much bigger issue than just one student or one piece of maybe magical origami. It’s an entire school movement, and it tackles so many issues we face in education today-- the FunTime menace isn’t real, but it is. (*cough* AR *cough*) We put so much emphasis on test scores, that’s we’ve opened a market for people to cash in without any real benefit to the schools and students and this book really looks at this, in a hilarious manner.

I also really liked how Dwight chose each character for the different kids in the alliance. Much like he showed with the original Origami Yoda, Dwight notices things about people and knows how to nudge them in the right directions.


Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

The Secret of the Fortune Wookie

The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee Tom Angleberger

It is a dark time at McQuarrie school--Dwight has transfered to Tippet Academy and taken Origami Yoda with him, leaving the kids at McQuarrie without his sage advice. Then Sara shows up with the Fortune Wookie, who's growls are translated into advice by Han Foldo. Dwight threw them down to her from his bedroom window, so Tommy and Kellan assume they're infused with some of the Origami Yoda's force. Still, they're on the case...

The Fortune Wookie gives good advice, but some of the truths the kids have face are painful. When investigating the Fortune Wookie, they stumble across another mystery--Dwight has turned totally normal. No more origami, no more weird sayings, totally and utterly normal (and kinda boring.) What gives?

Angleberger stays strong with this third installment of the Origami Yoda series. I'm a bit biased because I'm a total Han Solo girl and we get wonderful classic Solo lines sprinkled throughout the text. I also love that Sara gets full props and credit for knowing her Star Wars (the guys are all super impressed at her knowledge of minor characters. Also, she does an excellent Wookie growl.) AND AND AND AND AND! God bless Tom Angleberger for not giving the girl a Princess Leia origami. I mean, Princess Leia is AWESOME (how many diplomats do you know who can rock a blaster like that? PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!) but Angleberger didn't give the girl and girl. It made my fangirl* heart swell to a new size.

I also really like how Darth Paper Strikes Back and Fortune Cookie stay funny while still tackling some big issues. I love how the McQuarrie kids accept Dwight as Dwight. And I"m very, very afraid for the next book. It's not as cliff hanger-y as Han being frozen and taken back to Jabba and Luke finding out that Vader is his father but... Dark times are coming. You may not be afraid but... you will be. You will be.

*as a fangirl of Star Wars and of Angleberger


Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

LAST CHANCE TO WIN!

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!

Birthdays are great but I haven't been totally excited about it this year. This blog giveaway is a way to build excitement for me. In real life I haven't been this OMG BIRTHDAY! about it. (Which is a bit weird, because I'm usually OMG SQUEE about anything that involves Fudgie the Whale. My going away party at my last job involved Fudgie for breakfast and may have therefore been one of the best days of my life.)

It's not that I'm dreading being a year older but, it's not a milestone year (it ends in a 2, not a 0 or 5) and there's so much else going on right now-- like my new job (which is awesome, but it's a huge [very positive] change in a lot of different ways) and the Kung Fu Princess is really keeping me on my toes lately-- she just gained a ton of new skills that allow her to create even more mischief and she's going to start walking any second now, and then the world is doomed (you may want to start boarding your windows now).

But, today's the day. I'm going to get my free yogurt from Red Mango and my present from Sephora. I'm going to get a pedicure. I'm going to chill at home and watch the opening ceremonies.



AND YOU ARE GOING TO WIN SOME BOOKS! You have until midnight (Eastern) tonight to through your name in the hat for two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind provided by the very awesome Spy Museum.

Winners will be drawn tomorrow.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

It's my party, I'll give books if I want to...

Tomorrow is my birthday! That means it's also the last day to enter to win!

The very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away. As it's my birthday and I can share my cake with you, I thought I'd give away some books instead.

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th (THAT'S TOMORROW!) I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Win an Autographed Copy of Fake Mustache!

The very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away. I've been saving them for this week because it's my birthday! So I'm giving you presents! (And eating cake, but that's hard to do on the blog.)

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th. I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Fake Mustache Giveaway!

Instead of giving my presents for my birthday this week, I thought I'd give YOU some instead.

Luckily for us, the very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away.

That means TWO people get to win. Huzzah!

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th. I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Birthday Giveaway!

Friday's my birthday! It's not a big one, but still, I like my birthday.

The very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away. Why not do it for my birthday?

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th. I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Sunday Salon: Fake Mustache

Have you been to the Spy Museum here in DC? I highly recommend it. Don't forget the gift shop, either-- they have a great selection of cool spy things, but also an amazing bookstore with fiction and nonfiction for all ages (seriously, excellent book selection).

How excellent? Well, they realize that a slapstick comedy about a fake mustache turning your best friend into an evil super-genius and the only way to stop him is to dress up like a tween superstar cow girl and then team up with that cow girl and her wonder horse is the PERFECT fit.


So, on Friday, Tom Angleberger will be there signing copies of Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind.


Here are the details:

Come to a fun-filled mustachioed family event at The International Spy Museum on Friday May 18th from 2-4 PM. Don’t have your own mustache? Not to worry, they will be handing them out free. Theirs won’t be the Heidelberg Handlebar #7 with special powers that stars in the book, but they will be hairy none the less.

Books will be available at the store. This event is free.

Here's the review I ran last month:

When Lenny's best friend buys a suit and a fake mustache for that "man about town" look, everything goes wrong. The Heidelberg Handlebar #7 has special powers and Casper (or, as he's now known, Fako Mustacho) becomes an evil mastermind. He robs banks for billions of dollars and rigs a presidential election. Only Lenny isn't hypnotized by the power of the mustache. But, with the help of Jodie O'Rodeo, a former TV Cowgirl sensation, they might just be able to save the world.

As you can probably tell from the plot description, this one is wackier, siller and more of a tall tale than the Origami Yoda books. As such, it wasn't really my cup of tea BUT it's one that middle graders will eat up. I liked the fact that Jodie O'Rodeo did all her own stunts, just not her own singing. I also like that both Lenny and Jodie narrate this one, but they don't alternate chapters--it's more or less in thirds. I also liked the crazy things invented by he Heidelberg Novelty Company.

ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Fake Mustache

Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind Tom Angleberger

When Lenny's best friend buys a suit and a fake moustache for that "man about town" look, everything goes wrong. The Heidelberg Handlebar #7 has special powers and Casper (or, as he's now known, Fako Mustacho) becomes an evil mastermind. He robs banks for billions of dollars and rigs a presidential election. Only Lenny isn't hypnotized by the power of the mustache. But, with the help of Jodie O'Rodeo, a former TV Cowgirl sensation, they might just be able to save the world.

As you can probably tell from the plot description, this one is wackier, siller and more of a tall tale than the Origami Yoda books. As such, it wasn't really my cup of tea BUT it's one that middle graders will eat up. I liked the fact that Jodie O'Rodeo did all her own stunts, just not her own singing. I also like that both Lenny and Jodie narrate this one, but they don't alternate chapters--it's more or less in thirds. I also liked the crazy things invented by he Heidelberg Novelty Company.

ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Darth Paper Strikes Back

Darth Paper Strikes Back: An Origami Yoda Book Tom Angleberger

Dwight’s been suspended because Origami Yoda is too much of a distraction. It gets worse-- the Principal's recommended that Dwight be sent to CREF-- the Correctional and Remedial Education Facility-- where the really, really bad kids go. Before being hauled off, Origami Yoda tells Tommy to do one more thing-- assemble a case file. So Tommy’s back on the case, this time letting everyone detail the good Origami Yoda’s done and all the bad things that have happened since he left. Once again, Kellan illustrates and Harvey makes comments-- even though Harvey and his origami Darth Vader are responsible for this mess in the first place.

Just as awesome as the first PLUS! A new Star Wars pencil game (very cool) and some serious love for Robot Dreams
.

Here’s a tip girls-- if you have to decide between 2 guys, and one gives you Robot Dreams because “It’s so great. It’s this really beautiful story...” and one guy gives you an Elvis-playing Teddy Bear. GO FOR THE ROBOT DREAMS GUY. Trust me on this one. Go for Robot Dreams.

Lots of excellent Star Wars nerdery, lots of hilarity, and well, if you liked the first, you’ll like this. If you haven’t read the first, what are you waiting for?!

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Strange Case of Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda Tom Angleberger

Dwight is one of the biggest weirdos at McQuarrie Middle School, and when he starts carrying around an Origami Yoda on his finger and dispensing advice in the worst Yoda-voice ever, it's pretty par for the course. Except... Origami Yoda gives good advice, advice that Dwight would never be able to give in a million years. Does Origami Yoda have special powers? Tommy needs to know if Origami Yoda's real or not, because Origami Yoda told Tommy to do something and Tommy's a bit afraid.

So, Tommy collects different stories of his classmates' interactions with Origami Yoda in an attempt to decide whether or not to trust his advice.

What results is a very fun and funny book about middle school, friends, girls, and, of course, the Force. With fun illustrations dotting the margins and other students' comments on the case files, this is book readers are sure to love.

All the love this book has gotten is spot-on and I'm just adding mine to the pile.

ALSO, there are instructions in the back so you can make your own Origami Yoda!

I've had a lot of fun booktalking this one by sticking my own Origami Yoda on my finger and doing my horrible Yoda voice and having the following conversation with myself:

Me: So, Origami Yoda, is this book any good?

Yoda: Hmmm... Funny it is. Read it you shall. Like it you will. But! A warning I have...

Me: A warning?

Yoda: Do not drink milk while reading this book, or laugh so hard, shoot it out your nose, you will.

Me: Good advice. Thanks Origami Yoda!

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.