The Yo-Yo Prophet

July 18, 2011
Ninth grade is anything but easy for Calvin Layne. His father disappeared after his mother died, and for the past six years Calvin has lived with his ill grandmother, who frequently confuses him with his father and has suddenly decided to sell her dry cleaning shop, without a plan for their future. Teased at school for being small, Calvin finds comfort and strength in performing yo-yo tricks, and he begins to gain popularity for his unusual skill after he is mistaken for a street performer. His pushy schoolmate Rozelle muscles her way into being his manager, and soon Calvin is putting on shows, making money, and gaining a huge following online. But when Rozelle begins marketing him as the "Yo-Yo Prophet" and claiming he can predict the future (a few of his predictions are accurate), Calvin must finally stand up for himself. Krossing's (Pure) depictions of the many pressures Calvin is under, as well as his relationship with his grandmother, feel especially intimate and authentic. It's a clever and quiet coming-of-age story about developing confidence and doing what's right. Ages 12âup.

August 1, 2011

A lonely, shy boy with an unusual talent breaks out of his shell with the unwanted help of an aggressive girl manager.

Calvin lives with his ailing grandmother over their dry-cleaning shop, relying on his love of yo-yos to relieve stress. He decides he might be able to make some money as a street performer with his yo-yo tricks, but he can't avoid the highly unwanted attention of Rozelle, who demands to become his manager and grabs half his earnings. Worse, Rozelle markets him as a prophet, who can make accurate predictions during his performances. Her shenanigans net him local television attention, but the now overconfident Calvin begins to believe his own publicity and predicts that he can beat a world-champion yo-yo master. Meanwhile, his grandmother fails further and sells her business to a man Calvin doesn't trust. As the deadline looms for finding a new apartment, Calvin relies on his yo-yo, teaching himself dazzling new tricks. Krossing paints vivid and believable portraits of her main characters and keeps the action flowing, especially in her descriptions of Calvin's performances. She manages to convey the intricacies of the tricks and Calvin's joy in mastering them while moving the narrative briskly along.

It all adds up to a captivating and believable portrait of a young boy coming of age. (Fiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012

Gr 7-9-Diminutive Calvin loves yo-yos, and after some consideration starts performing on the streets in his Canadian town. The school bully catches his show and decides she is going to manage if he engages in far-seeing predictions while throwing. As Calvin becomes attached to the thrill of captivating audiences, his grandmother's health deteriorates, leaving him alone while she is hospitalized and worried about where they will live. The story follows a pretty generic formula for sports fiction: boy with family problems attaches to a sport he loves and achieves moderate status, his world crumbles around him, and he perseveres. That the sport is yo-yoing makes it slightly different, but the characters only have the minimum requirement of depth. Calvin's ability to attract crowds through yo-yoing may seemed far-fetched to someone unfamiliar with the sport, but a simple YouTube video search will assuage the most reluctant teens that this is, in fact, kind of cool and different. Calvin's personal growth as he overcomes his shyness with his peers and his estranged father is heartwarming, albeit slightly perfunctory. The story is a nicely paced, enjoyable read, and most kids will find themselves compelled to finish it. For those looking for a Canadian-set bildungsroman with more depth, Kenneth Oppel's Half Brother (Scholastic, 2010) will fill that niche.-Devin Burritt, Jackson Memorial Library, Tenants Harbor, ME

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2011
Grades 7-10 Calvin lives with his grandmother above their dry-cleaning shop. Since his mom died and his dad left town, it's just been him and Granand now Gran is sick and must sell the business, which means that they need to find a new place to live. Calvin is sure he can help with the finances and decides to put his yo-yoing skills to good use by performing on the street for money. Rozelle, a girl from school, forces her way into being his manager and sets up gigs for Calvin and his yo-yo act, pocketing half his earnings. Calvin is a likable character who is struggling to keep it together under the mounting stress, the relationship between Calvin and his grandmother is realistically portrayed, and the eventual resolution with Calvin's dad feels authentic. Meanwhile, the yo-yoing scenes are surprisingly vivid and keep the action moving. Readers will root for Calvin to stand up to Rozelle and triumph in the end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)