Without my glasses I thought it was “The Revolting Boy”, and that that title had something to do with a nine year old with six-o’clock shadow. Now I see how foolish that idea was.
NGpm – what if his sense of direction didn’t go around the Earth’s surface? What if, when you asked him which way to Beijing from Atlanta, he pointed through the Earth, not east or west? Not terribly useful.
“a boy with a gyroscopically accurate sense of direction.”? Surely you could just nail him to a turntable on the top of a 2-wheel wagon with a set of gearing to each wheel? you really don’t need Satnav, just a brain.
@ Kira November: That actually happened in the story. Although I think (very hazy memory here, I read it over 20 years ago) he lived in Toronto, his teacher asked him where Beijing was, and he did, indeed, point directly through the earth.
May 23rd, 2011 at 7:53 am
The only boy in the world who could use a hula-hoop? Come on, it’s not THAT difficult.
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:20 am
I remember when I got trapped in MY first gyroscope.
If he has a unique talent, he obviously needs to go on BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT. Revolving to the tune of ‘You Spin Me Right Round’, naturally.
BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ. That’s three NOs, I’m afraid.
May 23rd, 2011 at 11:23 am
Impossible with the normal hula hoops but one that size? This boy couldn’t.
May 23rd, 2011 at 12:30 pm
For the world is hollow, and I have touched the “Y.”
May 23rd, 2011 at 1:20 pm
I’m waiting for someone to explain to us that this accurately depicts something that happens in the book.
May 23rd, 2011 at 1:23 pm
That’s not even stupid. It’s just weird.
May 23rd, 2011 at 1:42 pm
“I was a teenage werewolf in space.” Showing now in 3D.
May 23rd, 2011 at 2:02 pm
“For the world is hollow, and I have touched the “Y.— Jane wins the thread.
May 23rd, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Without my glasses I thought it was “The Revolting Boy”, and that that title had something to do with a nine year old with six-o’clock shadow. Now I see how foolish that idea was.
May 23rd, 2011 at 3:24 pm
If he has a unique talent but no place to use it, how does he know he has the talent in the first place?
May 23rd, 2011 at 3:46 pm
I knew it.
Super Monkey Ball was plagiarized.
May 23rd, 2011 at 5:36 pm
The story has something to do with a child who has a perfect sense of direction — even in space…. extremely lame in other words….
May 23rd, 2011 at 8:22 pm
If he has a unique talent but no place to use it, there’s always YouTube…
May 23rd, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Tom Noir wrote “I’m waiting for someone to explain to us that this accurately depicts something that happens in the book.”
Well, funnily enough… it seems that the book is about a boy with a gyroscopically accurate sense of direction. I found a review here:
http://solarbridge.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/the-revolving-boy-gertrude-friedberg/
May 23rd, 2011 at 10:07 pm
“With my new design of surf-board, this giant wave will be a doddle …”
May 23rd, 2011 at 10:37 pm
Already they’re planning next Planet of the Apes movie, with a fresh new direction!
May 24th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Yes, because earth is no place for people with a sense of direction!
May 26th, 2011 at 4:34 am
He may have a perfect sense of direction, but he needs to work on his fashion sense: Revolving Boy needs new pants.
May 26th, 2011 at 4:41 am
He looks like a werewolf.
May 29th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
The MTV Teen Wolf show looks terrible.
June 1st, 2011 at 11:40 pm
NGpm – what if his sense of direction didn’t go around the Earth’s surface? What if, when you asked him which way to Beijing from Atlanta, he pointed through the Earth, not east or west? Not terribly useful.
June 6th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
If he has a perfect sense of direction, he will never become a taxi driver. Poor kid!
June 12th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
“a boy with a gyroscopically accurate sense of direction.”? Surely you could just nail him to a turntable on the top of a 2-wheel wagon with a set of gearing to each wheel? you really don’t need Satnav, just a brain.
August 27th, 2012 at 3:06 am
@ Kira November: That actually happened in the story. Although I think (very hazy memory here, I read it over 20 years ago) he lived in Toronto, his teacher asked him where Beijing was, and he did, indeed, point directly through the earth.
December 2nd, 2015 at 2:21 pm
Hevy Revolting B.O.
March 10th, 2022 at 3:14 am
I might be too obscure here for anyone who wasn’t in the UK in the 1990s, but…. Doesn’t he look like Gaz Coombs from Supergrass?
March 10th, 2022 at 4:31 am
You’re exactly right. Possibly from the fourth album.