TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Chapter 1: Rolling Hoops

  Chapter 2: Hoop Dancing 101

  Chapter 3: When Hoops Fall

  Chapter 4: No Robots Here

  Chapter 5: Keeping Cool

  Chapter 6: The Announcement

  Chapter 7: Auditions

  Chapter 8: Time Off

  Chapter 9: Hooping Again

  Chapter 10: The Spring Show Off

  Author Bio

  Illustrator Bio

  Glossary

  More about Hoop Dancing

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Explore More

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  Cover

  Title Page

  Table of Contents

  Start of Content

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  back cover

  CHAPTER 1

  ROLLING HOOPS

  Thirteen-year-old Tobias Wilson’s alarm clock beeped. The early morning sun played peekaboo through the single window in his room. He groaned, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and stood.

  “Time to get to work,” he said. “The hoops are calling.”

  Tobias threw on basketball shorts, an old T-shirt, and shoes. He ran his hand through his dark hair. Then he tied a purple bandana around his head.

  His mom and sisters were still asleep, so he tiptoed through the house. He grabbed his equipment bag and went out the back door.

  The chill in the air pricked his skin. But he knew he’d warm up fast once he started dancing. This was Tobias’s favorite time of the day. Just him and his hoops.

  He turned on his music, keeping the volume low to not disturb the neighbors. Then he laid two hoops on the ground, keeping the third in his hand. An electronic powwow song from a popular Native band from Oklahoma gave a steady beat.

  Tobias warmed up with a quick, one hoop side-arm circle on the left, then switched the hoop to the right. He then threw the hoop up in the air, spun on one foot, and caught the hoop with his left hand.

  He repeated the pattern—left-right-throw-spin-catch, left-right-throw-spin-catch—until he was breathing heavy.

  Tobias had picked up hoop dancing after attending an intertribal powwow with his family two years ago up in Oklahoma.

  He’d always been a good dancer, but hoop dancing wasn’t as easy as it looked. Especially if you were teaching yourself through videos online. There also weren’t many Choctaw Nation hoop dancers. Tobias was one of only a few.

  Again, he repeated the pattern, but after the spin he added a ground hoop roll. When it came back to him, he did the routine again.

  Batting cages and golf ranges dotted his small Texas town, but there wasn’t a hoop dancing store where he could ask for help. The only hoop dancer he knew lived over a hundred miles from Tobias’s home. The dancer wasn’t available to help with lessons or pointers.

  His mom once danced ballet, but she quit when she was eighteen. Still, she gave him some basics. She said they’d help with his coordination and flexibility. And they did.

  Tobias moved closer to the hoop on the ground. Twirling one hoop around with his left hand, his right foot stepped on the hoop. The hoop popped straight into his hand.

  From there, he did figure eights with the hoops and spun. He threw up one and caught it, then did the same with the other. He repeated this move again because practice makes perfect. He was throwing a hoop in the air when—

  “Hey, Tobias.” Declan Harris popped his head over their shared fence. “What are you doing?”

  Tobias froze. The hoops fell and rolled a few feet from him.

  No one outside of family had ever seen him hoop dance. Not even Declan, his friend since kindergarten. Besides his nosy nature, he was a good friend.

  “Are you playing with your sister’s Hula-Hoops?” Declan asked. He leaned over the fence to get a better look. Without waiting for an answer, he added, “And I really like that music. It has a nice beat.”

  Tobias spun to turn down the music but tripped over the hoops instead. He fell face-first into his mom’s herb patch, nose-to-leaf with the catnip.

  CHAPTER 2

  HOOP DANCING 101

  “When did you start playing music early in the morning?” Declan asked as he entered Tobias’s backyard. “Also, why are you sweating?”

  “Declan, you ask a lot of questions,” Tobias responded. He hurried to turn off the music.

  Declan shrugged his shoulders. “That’s what my mom says. And my teachers. The list goes on. But you didn’t answer my questions.”

  Tobias bent down and picked up his hoops. He wasn’t ready to tell Declan about his dancing. Nobody outside his family knew about his hoop dancing. “Guess I should go in and get ready for school,” he said.

  “Hold on a minute,” Declan said. “Can I see one of your hoops? They’re so cool and colorful.”

  Tobias held on to the hoop and thought. Should he tell Declan? If he didn’t, Declan would never give up trying to find out. Tobias gave in.

  Tobias handed over a hoop.

  “It’s a hoop used in hoop dancing,” he said. “Traditionally, they are made from willow branches. But mine are made from plastic tubing. I use colored tape to decorate them.”

  “You made these?” Declan ran the hoop through his hands. “That’s awesome!”

  “Yes, with a little help from my mom and a YouTube video,” Tobias said.

  Declan’s upbeat curiosity made Tobias wish he had told him sooner. He liked the feeling of sharing his sport with Declan. However, Tobias didn’t want others at school to find out. Though he couldn’t explain why.

  “Please don’t tell anyone at the school about my hoop dancing. Okay?” Tobias asked.

  “Sure, I won’t say anything, but can you teach me how you did the twirl spin move?” Declan’s eyes grew large. They always did when he learned something new.

  Tobias spent the next fifteen minutes teaching Declan how to hold the hoop and do three simple moves. He showed his friend a hand twirl, a finger twirl, and how to use two hoops to imitate a turtle snap.

  Declan was a lot better than Tobias thought he would be. Before Tobias knew it, they were tossing a hoop back and forth, doing turn butt-kicks before tossing. Even though hoop dancing was a solo sport, Tobias enjoyed dancing alongside his friend.

  “So. Why didn’t you tell me about your hoop dancing?” Declan asked. He tossed a hoop to Tobias.

  Tobias caught the hoop and paused. He had to be honest.

  Finally, he said, “Sometimes you can be a loudmouth and tell people things without realizing it’s not your place to tell them.”

  “You’re not wrong. It’s my worst flaw,” Declan said. “But why don’t you want anyone else to know?”

  Again Tobias paused. What he was about to tell Declan was personal.

  “I’m not very good,” he finally said. “Plus, most people in our town have never heard of hoop dancing.”

  “I think you’re good. And who cares if no one around here has heard of it,” Declan said. “Toss the hoop back.”

  Tobias tossed it back, doing a one-armed cartwheel.

  “See? What you just did, that was cool,” Declan said. “Is this why you dance? So you can do all the cool tricks?”

  Tobias shrugged. He couldn’t explain his reasons; he was still figuring them out. Was it just cool tricks or was it deeper than that?

  Tobias just hoped he could trust Declan with his secret.

  CHAPTER 3

  WHEN HOOPS FALL

  Several weeks had passed since Tobias told Declan about his hoop dancing. Most mornings Declan would come over and help with the equipment and music.

  This morning Tobias was alone working on a routine he was putting together. Declan had homework he needed to finish before school.

  Sweat poured down Tobias’s back, despite the cooler weather. His legs ached, and he was breathing hard. He yanked the hoop over his head for the fourth time, and it slapped him in the back.

  “Ugh!”

  Hoop jumps were like jumping rope. But i nstead of ropes, dancers used hoops, squatting as they jumped. Tobias hadn’t gotten more than three hoop jumps in a row before he fell, fumbled, or slapped himself.

  Tobias threw the hoop. It rolled a foot before it tumbled over.

  To shake off his anger and frustration, Tobias grabbed three hoops and worked through a series of hoop moves. The movements always gave him peace.

  He closed his eyes and listened to the steady beat of the drums. Starting with three hoops interlocked across his back, he popped up two more hoops, one in each hand.

  His hoop moves were clunky. The magic of the dance came in the illusion of the hoop movement. His steps weren’t perfect, but they were even.

  He spanned the hoops across his back and arms but dropped one when his hand cramped.

  When he was done, he noticed his mom watching him from the back porch.

  “Looking good, Tobias. Your time practicing is starting to show.” Mom smiled and stepped toward him.

  Tobias smiled back. He felt the compliment down to his toes. He couldn’t remember the last time his mom had watched him practice or encouraged his dancing.

  She put her arm around him. “If you want, I can help you work on your balance and footing,” she offered. “That should help with the hoop jumping. Fancy footwork takes a lot of practice.”

  “I would like that. Maybe tonight?” Tobias asked with hope in his voice.

  Mom patted him on the head, pulling off his bandana. “Time for breakfast. Come inside before your eggs get cold.”

  His sisters, Mary and Anne, were already at the kitchen table eating cereal. They were eleven and five years old. Mom beelined to the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee. Tobias sat between his sisters and dug into his eggs.

  Anne sang at the top of her lungs while crunching her cereal, “Twinkle, twinkle little star…”

  “Anne!” Mom said. “Can you sing quietly?”

  “Mom? Mom?” Mary repeated, trying to get Mom’s attention. “I need new piano sheet music. Anne and I are doing a duet for the annual Spring Show. She’ll sing of course.”

  Mom didn’t answer. She was scrolling on her phone.

  “Mom!” Mary yelled, spraying milk out her mouth. “Can you take me to the store after school? Sheet music is on sale this week.”

  “I’m sorry. There is a big project at work due today. I’ll be at the office late getting it wrapped up. Maybe this weekend,” Mom responded.

  She looked at Tobias. “Can you take care of dinner tonight? I’ll leave money on the table for a pizza.”

  “Sure, Mom.” Tobias’s head dropped.

  It looked like he wouldn’t get a practice session with his mom after all. He wished his mom had more time for them. Lately, she was always working. He didn’t mind taking care of his little sisters, but it was a lot of responsibility. And he missed his mom too.

  CHAPTER 4

  NO ROBOTS HERE

  After breakfast, Tobias grabbed his backpack from the couch in the living room and headed out the door. His sisters were already waiting outside for him under the big oak tree in their front lawn. Declan was waiting too.

  “Sorry I missed your practice this morning. How’d it go?” Declan asked.

  Tobias hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder. “Alright. I still can’t get the hoop jump.”

  “He can’t jump!” Mary and Anne yelled together and ran ahead of the boys.

  Tobias ran his hand through his hair. Their words stung.

  “Don’t let the girls get to you,” Declan added. “You’ll get there.”

  “Oh, really?” Tobias rolled his eyes. “How do you know?” He sounded sarcastic, but Tobias really wanted to know the answer.

  Declan stopped and looked at Tobias. “I think you just need to relax. You try too hard,” he said.

  Tobias rolled his eyes again. Somehow, Declan had become his unofficial coach.

  Once they arrived at school, a single-story building that housed all grades from kindergarten to twelfth grade, the girls headed toward their side of the building.

  Tobias looked at his watch. They had ten minutes before class, so they stopped at the open area near the entrance of the secondary school. A few kids were hanging around, but otherwise they were alone.

  “Hey, I watched this video from this master hoop dancer,” Declan said. “At least, that’s what the video said. Anyway, he did this neat trick.”

  “Is this why you had to do homework this morning?” Tobias asked.

  “Maybe. But anyway, he did this kick out leg thing, while twirling and twisting two hoops, one on each side.”

  Declan demonstrated. He stuck out an arm and a leg and pretended to twirl and hopped around. Declan’s coordination wasn’t on beat, but it wasn’t bad.

  Tobias lifted his arm and repeated the move himself. He just needed to find the beat first before diving in full force.

  “Declan!” came a voice.

  Their classmate Josh walked up. Tobias hadn’t noticed Josh nearby.

  “You look like a jittery robot,” Josh teased.

  Joel, Josh’s best friend, laughed and pointed. “You too, Tobias,” he said.

  A group formed around the four boys.

  Tobias’s eyes flashed with anger. “That’s not what it looks like.”

  Josh and Joel were in the same grade as Tobias and Declan, but they weren’t friends. Ever since the spitball war in first grade, Tobias and Declan kept their distance from them. Over the years, Josh and Joel’s snide remarks had grown stronger and more hurtful.

  “Then what is it?” Joel asked. He stepped closer to Tobias.

  “Yeah, what is it?” Josh repeated.

  Declan answered, “I’m hoop dancing. It’s a Native American dance, done at powwows.”

  Tobias held his breath. He hoped Declan would stop there.

  “Ask Tobias, he’s a hoop dancer,” Declan proudly added, puffing his chest out.

  The air left Tobias’s lungs. Not only did Josh and Joel mock hoop dancing, but now they knew his secret. They would never leave him alone after this.

  “Ha-ha, Tobias is a robot dancer.” Joel mimicked the dance, jerking his body around. He did look like a robot.

  Tobias’s anger grew. His hands were balled at his sides. “Cut it out, Joel.”

  “I’m sorry, Tobias. It just came out,” Declan said. He hung his head low.

  The first bell rang, and Tobias stomped to first period. He needed space from Josh, Joel, and Declan to sort his thoughts.

  CHAPTER 5

  KEEPING COOL

  Sweat dotted Tobias’s brow. He was thick into his morning dance routine, doing double time to build endurance. His hands and legs were moving to the beat and the hoops were flying.

  It had been almost a week since Declan spilled Tobias’s secret. He wasn’t so angry at Declan anymore. In a way, Tobias was relieved to have the secret out. However, he wasn’t ready to admit that to Declan. Nor was he ready to ask him to come back to morning practice.

  Twirl. Twist. Kick back.

  The grass beneath his bare feet helped him feel grounded. To the earth, to the dance. He pushed everything else to the side.

  Twirl. Twist. Kick back. Spin.

  Tobias felt the energy move through him. The beat of the drum became him.

  But the word robot came back to him. Josh and Joel’s teasing had only intensified. Fear pulled in his stomach. Since that day, every morning and afternoon Josh and Joel made a joke of hoop dancing. Those boys didn’t understand hoop dancing or its history. Their words and actions cut Tobias deeply.

  Plus, everyone at school kept asking Tobias about hoop dancing. Tobias felt like he was in the spotlight, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

  It was kind of like the time when Declan’s mom made him do a year of Irish step dance. No one left Declan alone.

  The sun rose higher. Tobias had about fifteen minutes left before he needed to go inside. He pushed thoughts of Josh and Joel down and picked up three additional hoops. By the end of school year, he hoped to dance with five hoops.

  It wasn’t easy. He wore three interlocking hoops across his shoulders like a jacket and popped two additional hoops into his hand with his right foot. The pop up was messy and super choppy.

  He repeated the pop up move several times. On the last time, he moved one hoop to each hand. Tobias created a span from finger to finger. Like that of an eagle’s wingspan.

  He felt free. He soared. The wind moved through his hair as he twirled. He was flying.

  The music came to a halt.

 

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