AMULET BOOKS TO PUBLISH DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK,
SEQUEL TO TOM ANGLEBERGER'S BESTSELLER
THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA
THE FORCE IS WITH KIDS, BOOKSELLERS, AND LIBRARIANS THIS
SUMMER WITH A FIRST PRINTING OF 250,000
New York, NY, January 20, 2011—A four-month online poll yielded more than 10,000 votes for the Star Wars™ character that fans most wanted to see in the sequel to the bestselling The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. Darth Vader prevailed, and Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, now announces the title: DARTH PAPER STRIKES BACK: AN ORIGAMI YODA BOOK. With over 550,000 copies in print, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda has had otherworldly success, winning the praise of critics, landing on two bestseller lists, and earning an Indie Bound Next List recommendation. The book was named a best book of 2010 by the Boston Globe, was named to The New York Public Library'sBest Children's Books of 2010 list, and was also discussed as a possible 2011 Newbery contender during mock voting in libraries nationwide.
Following the innovative design and format set by Origami Yoda, Darth Paper will feature an origami Darth Vader on the cover and instructions to fold your own Darth Vader, plus other surprise bonuses in the back. The concept for both Origami Yoda and Darth Paper were created by author Tom Angleberger, and the names are used with permission of Lucasfilm Ltd.
"There has been such a huge reader response to our poll. So many kids loved Origami Yoda and felt very strongly about which character should appear in the sequel. Sadly my write-in vote for Wedge could not stem the tide of votes for Darth Vader," said Susan Van Metre, Senior VP and Publisher of Amulet Books, who acquired and edited both Origami Yoda and Darth Paper. "Tom Angleberger listened to his fans and made Darth Paper the hero—or should I say villain—of the next book."
The online poll, hosted on the website http://origamiyoda.com , opened in October 2010. Voters were asked to choose between Chewie and Han, a Clone Trooper, Darth Vader, Admiral Ackbar, or other characters. After 10,000 votes were submitted, the results confirmed that over 50% of readers hoped Darth Vader would appear in the next book. The remaining voting options were nearly a tie.
"I always suspected Darth Vader would win the voting," said Tom Angleberger. "I'm having a blast using him to help Dwight and his friends through another year of school." Angleberger will be touring this spring to promote his new stand-alone book, Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset (Amulet Books; $14.95) which will hit bookshelves in May, and to spread the world about the August release of Darth Paper.
The New York Times called The Strange Case of Origami Yoda "a delightful first novel," and the Boston Globe said it was "the most original novel of the year….[Angleberger] knows how to stay true to childhood behavior and language while drafting a funny and engaging saga." It was included on the IndieBound Next list, the Barnes & NobleBest of 2010 books list, the Boston Globe'sTop 10 Children's Books of 2010, and The New York Public Library'sChildren's Books of 2010 list. It also appeared on the IndieBound Children's Interest bestseller list and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance bestseller list for more than thirteen weeks.
About Amulet Books:Created in 2004 to specialize in books for middle grade and young adult readers alongside Abrams Books for Young Readers, which publishes books for readers up to age twelve, Amulet Books publishes bestselling and award-winning fiction and nonfiction. Amulet Books is an imprint of ABRAMS. Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, Abrams was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martinière Groupe, the company publishes visually stunning illustrated books on the subjects of art, photography, cooking, interior and garden design, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sports, and general interest.
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For more information, to set up an interview, or for images, please contact:
LAURA MIHALICK
MARKETING & PUBLICITY ASSOCIATE
Abrams Books for Young Readers | Amulet Books
ABRAMS | The Art of Books Since 1949
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
T 212.229.7110| F 212.366.0809
E lmihalick@abramsbooks.com
www.abramsbooks.com
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