Hello, Universe

Erin Entrada Kelly

Hello, Universe
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Bonnier Books Ltd
Country
United Kingdom
Published
2 July 2020
Pages
336
ISBN
9781848129221

Hello, Universe

Erin Entrada Kelly

In one day, four lives weave together in unexpected ways.

Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his loud family.

Valencia Somerset, who is deaf, is smart, brave, and secretly lonely, and loves everything about nature.

Kaori Tanaka is a self-proclaimed psychic, whose little sister Gen is always following her around.

And Chet Bullens wishes the weird kids would just act normal so that he can concentrate on basketball.

They aren’t friends - at least not until Chet pulls a prank that traps Virgil and his pet guinea pig at the bottom of a well. This disaster leads Kaori, Gen, and Valencia on an epic quest to find the missing Virgil. Is it a coincidence that their lives collide? Or are some things just meant to be?

An irresistible story about unlikely friendships from an acclaimed and award-winning author.

Review

Winner of the prestigious Newbery Medal for 2018, Hello Universe explores some common and not-socommon themes with a charming and funny deftness. We are issued into the world of four middle-school kids who are, for varying reasons, disenfranchised from the mainstream. One day, through mishap, their fates converge and offer up a new universe where friendship will be the winner.

Erin Entrada Kelly’s perfectly pitched novel encompasses multiculturalism, disability, loneliness, shyness and bullying. Does that sound like too many themes and dilemmas? It’s just a normal day in any community, but presented lightly and sensitively. I absolutely loved the characters in this kind exploration of friendship and self-acceptance; Hello Universe champions resilience and applauds difference and I heartily recommend it for girls and boys of 9+.


Alexa Dretzke is the assistant manager and children’s book buyer at Readings Hawthorn.

This item is in-stock at 2 shops and will ship in 3-4 days

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.