Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys

About this book

A picture-book biography of Pedro Flores, the Filipino immigrant who turned a childhood toy into the modern yo-yo and built it into an American craze. Rob Peñas and illustrator Carl Angel tell the story of an inventor often left out of toy history. Selected for the 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List (grades 3-6), chosen annually by the Texas Library Association.

Why widely assigned

This Picture Book title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on immigration and invention; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

• Texas Bluebonnet Award

  • recommended·3rd grade · Texassource: 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List (Texas Library Association)
  • recommended·4th grade · Texassource: 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List (Texas Library Association)
  • recommended·5th grade · Texassource: 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List (Texas Library Association)
  • recommended·6th grade · Texassource: 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List (Texas Library Association)

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Common questions

What grade level is Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys?

Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

What curricula assign Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys?

Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys appears on reading lists for Texas Bluebonnet Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys banned in schools?

Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

What themes does Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys explore?

Central themes in Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys include immigration, invention, biography. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.