The Yo-Yo Prophet

by Karen Krossing

Calvin is the smallest guy in his high school, and a perfect target for Rozelle and her girl gang. His mother is dead, his father is long gone and his only remaining relative, his grandmother, is getting too sick to run her dry cleaning business. The only time Calvin feels in control is when he's working his yo-yo. When he takes up street performing, Rozelle demands a cut and insists on being his manager. To get media attention, she markets him as a yo-yo genius who can predict the future, dubbing him the "Yo-Yo Prophet." Calvin begins to believe his own hype, but as Gran's condition deteriorates, he realizes that it will take more than fame and adulation to keep his family intact.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Karen Krossing wrote comics and poetry as a kid and dreamed of becoming a published writer. Today, she’s the author of many books for kids and teens, including picture books and novels. She won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award for Canada in 2015 and 2023 and has been a finalist for the Ontario Library Association White Pine Award and the Joan F. Kaywell Books Save Lives Award, among other honors. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she’s on faculty at Whale Rock Workshops.

For more about Karen, visit karenkrossing.com.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Yo-Yo Prophet was an okay read. I figured before I even started it that I wouldn't love the read, as the plot was kind of silly to me...but I still read it for a challenge.

I didn't like the characters, as I felt like they were selfish. I also got really annoyed with Rozelle. The writing was fine and the story was easy to read.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care much for this book at all. The characters were annoying and self-centered. I liked the ending just because it meant I was finished with the book. Not one I'd recommend.

[Lisa Finke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't decide how much I like this book...at first it was just ok, but it finished strong with a happy ending. I liked the yo-yo aspect - that's different.

[Kimathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in 5 hours. It can't be said it's a very hard or heavy read. However, it is a good one. I liked it enough so that when my eyes were dead I kept going anyway. (My eyes were tired because I decided to pick it up at 9 and didn't return it to it's spot on my floor until 2 am)It is not especially exciting, or mysterious, or action-packed, but interesting all the same.

Calvin is a loser, a nobody, who is even bullied by a GIRL, named Rozelle. That is until Roz turns him into a sensational street act. His art of choice? A neon yellow yo-yo. And he's pretty good to, he instantly becomes a town celebrity, with weekly street performances, a blog and T.V. appearances. But with trouble brewing at his grandmothers dry cleaning buisness, and Rozelle promoting him as some sort of "prophet" how long can any of it last?

Though the pace is slow and Calvin may not be the most interesting voice to hear for 200 plus pages I would recommend this book to anyone. Maybe a between novels book, a light read, or just something to spark an interest in reading for a kid, it's one everyone should read. It would be especially good for boys who are reluctant to read, it's got no romance and there's something likable about pathetic Calvin; The Yo-Yo Prophet.

[Vicki Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved this book and everything it stood for. I don't want to spoil anything for others to read. I can't wait to read all of Karen's books because this one was definitely "A can't put downer!" I discovered Karen's talent by reading this book after seeing on our new shelf at the library I work for. Now I have all the children reading her works and we excited about her coming to visit our school in the fall.

I can't wait until her new book arrives!

[Nina Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book from a free book exchange and didn't realize it was a YA book, then decided to read it anyway. I enjoyed the story and the writing. Would recommend for middle school and up.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every boy dreams of being something a little bit more than average. Calvin has had a run of dumb luck with things on the home front and is left living with his grandmother above her dry-cleaning shop. He is also little more than a speck in the bullies eyes in his high school. So what is it that Calvin can do that can make him special? Well Calvin can throw a mean yo-yo! When he decides to try his luck on the street corner he finds that it is not only him that sees he is talented. Unfortunately, so does the school bully and she assigns herself as his manager.

As she starts to change the routine and add a little bit of prophecy into the mix, Calvin feels more and more at odd with going along with her plans. But there is one part that Calvin can't turn down, he finally feels like someone; and it feels good! Surrounded by a multitude of other problems; Calvin forgets everything while he spins his yo-yo. But everything else will soon catch up with Calvin and it may be too late to fix them.

This book was wonderfully written and keeps the reader glued to the page to find out what could happen next in Calvin's roller coaster ride to fame. You can't help but identify with Calvin and his need to be seen as someone other than a face in the crowd. You root for him when he finally gets noticed and feel the pressure as he backs down to the school bully. This is a realistic fiction swings the real right in your face as it deals with the issues in Calvin's life such as his grandmother's declining health, their need to find a apartment before they are evicted, his missing father, and school bullies. You are drawn into Calvin's world by the first person writing style and you are not only an observer, you are Calvin. There were a few cases of language that I could have done without but otherwise a good read! Great book for kids age 11 - up.

[Sarah Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard not to care about Calvin Layne--a loner kid from downtown Toronto (a city I know and love, usually), shortish, struggling in both math and the department of earning basic respect, but a wizard with a yoyo. Calvin lives with a Gran who’s inhaled too many drycleaning chemicals in her life. Sweet as she is, she’s losing her marbles fast and it’s Calvin’s job to pick them up again. No wonder he gets swept into the glitter of streetlife fame as a performer, thanks the wiles of his bossy “friend” Rozelle. She teams his natural talent for spinning toys with psychic abilities and gives him a stage. Presto. Fame-o. Then fame goes online. Then viral. For a while, anyway, until disasters strike.

This book, finely wrought, works. The story carries you along the ride to fame, and as much as you want Calvin to thrive, you know, page by page, that his insta-success is on shaky ground. You long for something to go right in his life, and when it does go right—but in a way you didn’t quite expect—you leave the final chapter feeling satisfied and victorious.

Karen Krossing’s dialog gives crisp and honest voices to her cast of loveable kids and their messed-up but well-intentioned grown-ups. She illuminates moments of performance stress and joy. In the Facebooking, Twittering world that youth inhabit, promises and fears of online reputation loom large, and Calvin embodies every kid’s desire to be noticed and important.

Yoyo Prophet is recommended for young teens who have a tendency to dream about better worlds and wider acceptance—which is just about everyone.

[Khornberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calvin is a “nobody” at his school and has a sad home life. The novel begins with Calvin not even being really worthy of a bully’s attention. By surprise, Calvin gets offered money for his street yo-yo tricks. Calvin gives it a try but is spotted by the bully who then decides to become his manager. Calvin soon becomes an overnight sensation as Rozelle (the bully) turns him into “The Yo Yo Prophet” offering predictions to audience members which she claims have a one hundred percent success rate. The resulting story is one that sheds light on the characters of Calvin and Rozelle (the bully) and the author, Karen Krossing, successfully keeps you wanting to read more and more. All-together, it is a nice story with nice messages that is one you don’t really want to put down. If you are looking for a feel good story that is an easy, simple read - The Yo Yo Prophet is a great choice and suitable for middle or high school.

[Quasar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The only reason it received a 4 was that it could have dealt a little more cleanly or clearly with what the main character was experiencing when faced with different kinds of people. Running smack into the chest of a big busted classmate is not something we should just get a perfunctory description of. In order to get to know the character properly, we really should find out what he's experiencing.

I digress.

The Yo-Yo Prophet is excellent. The main character has to deal with some deep ethics issues, some of which have very serious consequences. The other characters aren't perfect either, and together, they paint a picture of a life. It's just a normal, difficult to deal with life, that many people could identify with, or at least hear about with some level of understanding. I would say any kid from age 12 to 18 could enjoy this one. I enjoyed it as an adult, so it's not like it's one that would lose its solidity going into later years.

[Kelly]

No character development and no discernible motivation on the part of Calvin left me wanting more. The characters are simply labels, and Calvin never offers us the opportunity to know why the heck he is so determined to be a street performing yo yo'er. There are a lot of missed opportunities here, especially because Calvin had experienced a lot of loss in his life and a lot of social challenges (I'm assuming partially because of that) but we never get the chance to see this. The yo yo hobby serves as a substitute for growth/development/change, and it's off-putting because the way yo yoing is talked about is at that passionate level, the one where most readers who aren't yo yo enthusiasts don't have a frame of reference.

The writing itself was serviceable. Not knock out but not terrible, though it didn't offer much to strengthen the lacking story.

[Debbie Ohi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many reasons to love THE YO-YO PROPHET: the way the main characters change throughout the book (especially the main character, Calvin, who so desperately wants to be noticed and feel special), the tension and excitement of Calvin's yo-yo performances and competitions, how Calvin reacts to and eventually finds a way to cope with bullying, how he deals with his missing father and the declining health of his grandmother. Uplifting and hopeful ending without being clichéd.

I was also intrigued by the description of the yo-yo feats! This book might even lure young people away from their computer games to give an old-fashioned non-digital hobby a try.

The book inspired one of my Daily Doodles, which you can see here:
http://inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/201...

[Abbey Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Calvin's only true friend is his yo-yo. With his Grandma sick and his Dad away, Calvin knows he can always find comfort in his yo-yo. But when the school bulley, Rozelle, turns Calvin's yo-yo act into a business, Calvin gets swept up in the fame that comes with being the Yo-Yo Prophet. But can Calvin really see into the future? He is bound to find out as his world seems to be falling apart.
The problem I have with this book is the language used. The story is great for kids 8-12, but then the author threw in some inappropriate language. Maybe that was her way of making it a book for teens, I just found in to be odd and out of place. I had the ARC, so I am hoping this problem was fixed, because the idea behind the story was good.

[Andrea Blythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yo-Yoing is a much needed balm and relaxing hobby in Calvin's life. Abandoned by his father after his mom died, he lives with his grandmother, who is growing ill and a little senile. On top of that he is puny and the target for Rozelle and her tough girl gang. But it's yo-yoing where Calvin finds peace, or at least it was until he tests out street performing and finds himself caught up by Rozelle, who insists on being his manager.

This was a light, engaging read, which had a clean weave of subplots. Calvin is an interesting character, a genuine nice guy and average high school kid with a variety of frustrations that he has to face. There's no big revelations here, no mad, high tension adventures, no overwrought romance, merely a kid dealing with real problems and overcoming them.

[Elissa Hoole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fast-paced coming-of-age story about Calvin Layne, who goes from invisible to infamous for his yo-yo tricks and touted ability to predict the future. Calvin's struggles with his absent father, his sick grandma, and his overbearing manager all keep the conflict rolling along, and I can see this being a great fit for middle school students and reluctant readers. As a middle school teacher, I didn't find the language in this book to be objectionable for the age level, and I think the quick pacing and realistic conflicts will hold interest for most readers in that category.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Calvin is discovered to have a talent for yo-yoing, and goes from a ninth grade nobody to instant - if tenuous - popularity. However, his grandmother is increasingly ill, and, having sold her dry-cleaning business, they must find a new place to live. Calvin makes typically immature decisions and finds himself in difficult situations that make the book difficult to read at times (he's a very realistically frustrating teen). However, he is well-intentioned and responsible. This is a well told story, but it has no momentous climax or earth-shattering message.

[Mel Raschke]

Calvin is a nobody at school, pushed around by a bully, and her mean girl friends. His grandmother is getting ill and going to sell her business and try to find another place to live which doesn't include Calvin. He realizes people will pay to watch him do his yo yo tricks, the despair leaves him looking for hope. Good YA literature.

[Kim Piddington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students into yo-yo's will love the descriptions of the tricks YO-YO throws!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book and it was signed by the author. I love when that happens.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that made me want to read more of Karen's works!

[Amy Mathers · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://amysmarathonofbooks.ca/the-yo-...