Library Loot ~ and none by Berg!

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda ~ by Tom Angleberger, 2010, children's

Dwight, a sixth-grade loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda.  If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient.  Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice.  Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless.  With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.

Click here for a video lesson on how to fold an Origami Yoda.


Made in America : An Informal History of the English Language in the United States ~ by Bill Bryson, 1994, nonfiction

Bill Bryson, who has a wacky worldview, celebrates words in a book that reveals once and for all how a dusty western hamlet with neither woods nor holly came to be known as Hollywood ... and exactly why Mr. Yankee Doodle call his befeathered cap "Macaroni."

Queen of the Underworld ~ by Gail Godwin, 2006, fiction

In the summer of 1959, as Castro clamps down on Cuba and its first wave of exiles flees to the States to wait out what they hope to be his short-lived reign, Emma Gant, fresh out of college, begins her career as a reporter. Her fierce ambition and belief in herself are set against the stories swirling around her, both at the newspaper office and in her downtown Miami hotel, which is filling up with refugees. Emma’s life is suddenly filled with divided loyalties, shady dealings, romantic and professional setbacks, and, throughout, her adamant determination to avoid “usurpation” by others and remain the protagonist of her own quest.

From Jesus to Christianity: How Four Generations of Visionaries and Storytellers Created the New Testament and Christian Faith ~ by L. Michael White, 2004, religion

The conventional approach to understanding the New Testament from the Gospels is turned on its head as a well-respected professor of early Christianity delves into what preceded the written documents, which documents were written first and why, and what debates and personalities shaped what were ultimately chosen for inclusion in the Bible-shaping Christianity as we know it.

Library Loot is a weekly meme co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.  Claire has the Mister Linky this week, if you'd like to share a list of the loot you brought home.