The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

By Tom Angleberger
Rating: 4 1/4 stars

The big question: Is Origami Yoda real?  Tommy is on a quest to answer that question once and for all, so he collects case files written by other kids who asked the advice of the finger puppet Yoda residing on local weird kid Dwight's finger.  The bigger question is how can Dwight, who is as clueless as can be, able to give sage advice if Yoda is NOT real?   As Tommy examines the evidence, which is refuted by some friends and agreed to by others, he just gets more confused.  And he needs to know the truth before he asks Yoda the most important question of all!  How will he ever know?  This story is hilarious and readers will have a great time trying to decide for themselves if Origami Yoda is the real thing or not.  Should you read this book?  Origami Yoda would answer: "Read, you must."

Mockingbird

By Kathryn Erskine
Rating: 4 1/4 stars

Caitlin is a 10 year old girl struggling because her older brother recently died in a school shooting.  The whole community is shocked by the horrible event, and Caitlin is even more confused because she also has Asperger's Syndrome, so having empathy for how others are feeling, such as her father, is difficult.  Luckily, Caitlin has a good friend in her school counseler, Mrs. Brook, and through her, begins to learn how to make friends.  Then Caitlin hears the word "closure," and when she learns its meaning, she realizes she needs to get some to help work through Devon's death.  But how does one GET closure?  No one can give her a straight answer.  But when Caitlin begins thinking about how her brother used to nickname her "Scout" after the character in To Kill a Mockingbird, she slowly begins to develop an idea that might help not only herself, but everyone.  This well-written story will engage readers and also help us understand why someone with Asperger's or another diagnosis may act the way they do.  A good read on a difficult topic.