Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

I ordered Hello, Universe for our school library right after it won the Newbery Medal but have just now gotten around to reading it. What was I waiting for?! This story is full of so many things I love in books...varying points of view, humor, wonderful, misfit characters, and a satisfying ending. It is about how four kids' lives unexpectedly intersect and bring about changes they could never have foreseen.

Virgil Salinas is a shy, quiet 11-year-old boy who feels like he doesn't fit in anywhere, not even in his own family. Kaori Tanaka, also 11, is Virgil's friend who believes she is psychic and, with the help of her younger sister Gen, offers her services to the public. Next is Valencia Somerset, one of Virgil's classmates who is smart, deaf, and Virgil's secret crush. Finally, the bully of the story is Chet Bullens, a thoroughly unlikable kid whose act of meanness sets the plot in motion.

I had a great time listening to this story as an audio book and even laughed out loud more than once. Erin Entrada Kelly's character development is top notch! If you are a 4th-6th grader who likes adventures set in realistic neighborhood settings, I recommend Hello, Universe. It has something for every kind of reader.

Mrs. N.