From the Publisher
A charming, intriguingly plotted novel by Erin Entrada Kelly. ...As she skillfully intercuts these four narratives, Kelly builds suspense and fosters empathy for her characters...As the connections deepen, it seems that this “big, mysterious, fickle” universe might harbor friendship and self-awareness for each.” — Washington Post
★ “Kelly’s inventive story...is told from several supremely well-crafted perspectives. …The short chapters, compelling characters, and age-appropriate suspense will hook young readers immediately. …An original and resonant exploration of interconnectedness and friendship.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “Four middle-schoolers’ fates intertwine one summer in Kelly’s touching tale of friendship. . . . Chapters alternate between the four kids’ perspectives, infusing the story with their unique interests, backgrounds, beliefs, and doubts. …Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast.” — Booklist (starred review)
★ “Plucky protagonists and a deftly woven story will appeal to anyone who has ever felt a bit lost in the universe. Readers across the board will flock to this book that has something for nearly everyone—humor, bullying, self-acceptance, cross-generational relationships, and a smartly fateful ending.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
★ “Kelly offers up a charming novel about a serendipitous friendship that forms among a trio of sixth graders after a bully’s heartless act brings them together. ...Infused with humor and hope, this book deftly conveys messages of resilience and self-acceptance through simple acts of everyday courage.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Kelly creates rich and distinctive characters…through Kelly’s playful, inventive plotting, Virgil, Valencia, Kaori and Chet all confront ‘the universe’ in their own way. In the process, Kelly gives this hope to young readers: we can each discover our inner hero and transform even our toughest struggles.” — Shelf Awareness
“Told in alternating perspectives of the three kid-heroes and one villain...the children’s inner lives are distinctive, and each rings true.” — Horn Book Magazine
★ “Through Kelly’s playful, inventive plotting, Virgil, Valencia, Kaori and Chet all confront ‘the universe’ in their own way. In the process, Kelly gives this hope to young readers: we can each discover our inner hero and transform even our toughest struggles by...reaching out to friends and loved ones.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“Folklore, fairy tales, astrology, mysticism and dreams all mingle together to create a wonderful, fantastical and unique world...there is so much for every reader contained within.” — BookPage
“Fate seems to be trying to bring Valencia and Virgil together, according to Kaori, but it’s sure not taking any sort of direct route. …There’s a touch of Snyder’s classic The Egypt Game here, as a group of disparate youngsters make their own maybe-magic…and find surprising bonds.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Fate—or something—works in surprising ways in this funny, empathetic look at connecting with others in a universe often harsh and inscrutable but, happily, just as often benevolent.” — Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Suspenseful, quirky and heartwarming, Hello, Universe makes the world a little smaller, and we are better for that.” — NPR
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Fate seems to be trying to bring Valencia and Virgil together, according to Kaori, but it’s sure not taking any sort of direct route. …There’s a touch of Snyder’s classic The Egypt Game here, as a group of disparate youngsters make their own maybe-magic…and find surprising bonds.
Washington Post
A charming, intriguingly plotted novel by Erin Entrada Kelly. ...As she skillfully intercuts these four narratives, Kelly builds suspense and fosters empathy for her characters...As the connections deepen, it seems that this “big, mysterious, fickle” universe might harbor friendship and self-awareness for each.
BookPage
Folklore, fairy tales, astrology, mysticism and dreams all mingle together to create a wonderful, fantastical and unique world...there is so much for every reader contained within.
Shelf Awareness
Kelly creates rich and distinctive characters…through Kelly’s playful, inventive plotting, Virgil, Valencia, Kaori and Chet all confront ‘the universe’ in their own way. In the process, Kelly gives this hope to young readers: we can each discover our inner hero and transform even our toughest struggles.
Booklist (starred review)
★ “Four middle-schoolers’ fates intertwine one summer in Kelly’s touching tale of friendship. . . . Chapters alternate between the four kids’ perspectives, infusing the story with their unique interests, backgrounds, beliefs, and doubts. …Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast.
Shelf Awareness (starred review)
★ “Through Kelly’s playful, inventive plotting, Virgil, Valencia, Kaori and Chet all confront ‘the universe’ in their own way. In the process, Kelly gives this hope to young readers: we can each discover our inner hero and transform even our toughest struggles by...reaching out to friends and loved ones.
Horn Book Magazine
Told in alternating perspectives of the three kid-heroes and one villain...the children’s inner lives are distinctive, and each rings true.
NPR
Suspenseful, quirky and heartwarming, Hello, Universe makes the world a little smaller, and we are better for that.
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Fate—or something—works in surprising ways in this funny, empathetic look at connecting with others in a universe often harsh and inscrutable but, happily, just as often benevolent.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Fate seems to be trying to bring Valencia and Virgil together, according to Kaori, but it’s sure not taking any sort of direct route. …There’s a touch of Snyder’s classic The Egypt Game here, as a group of disparate youngsters make their own maybe-magic…and find surprising bonds.
Washington Post
A charming, intriguingly plotted novel by Erin Entrada Kelly. ...As she skillfully intercuts these four narratives, Kelly builds suspense and fosters empathy for her characters...As the connections deepen, it seems that this “big, mysterious, fickle” universe might harbor friendship and self-awareness for each.
Booklist (starred review)
★ “Four middle-schoolers’ fates intertwine one summer in Kelly’s touching tale of friendship. . . . Chapters alternate between the four kids’ perspectives, infusing the story with their unique interests, backgrounds, beliefs, and doubts. …Readers will be instantly engrossed in this relatable neighborhood adventure and its eclectic cast.
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2016-12-06
The lives of several middle school children intersect one summer day, as if by fate. Kelly's inventive story centers on gentle and quiet Virgil Salinas, a Filipino-American 11-year-old, and is told from several supremely well-crafted perspectives. Virgil longs to find the courage to talk to Valencia Somerset, who is confident, independent, and deaf. Third-generation Japanese-American Kaori Tanaka, Virgil's good friend and a budding entrepreneur, offers kids her gift of second sight as a professional psychic. Chet Bullens is the neighborhood bully, and he torments Virgil regularly. Though he is immediately unlikable, Chet's internal dialogue is nuanced, allowing young readers to understand the forces that shape his worldview and to glimpse the insecurity that underscores his behavior. On his way through the woods to Kaori's house for a reading, Virgil encounters Chet, whose cruelty endangers Virgil's beloved guinea pig, Gulliver, and ultimately leaves Virgil stranded and helpless. This ordeal spurs the unexpected collision of all the characters. Virgil, alone except for visits by personifications from the dark folk tales often shared by his Filipina grandmother, contemplates how he will become the hero in his own story should he survive. The short chapters, compelling characters, and age-appropriate suspense will hook young readers immediately. Neither Valencia nor Chet is cued racially. An original and resonant exploration of interconnectedness and friendship. (Fiction. 9-12)
