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A review by heykellyjensen
The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
Michael is 12, and he lives in a big apartment complex in Delaware. It's summer, and he's anxious about back-to-school and anxious about what's to come when the calendar flips from 1999 to 2000. But those anxieties pale in comparison to what happens when he and his babysitter and neighbor Gibby encounter a boy who claims to have traveled back in time. This time traveler, Ridge, broke the rules in his own time line by testing out the travel machinery, but he selected 1999 because he wanted to visit something he'd only ever heard about in history: a mall.
This is a big hearted novel about anxiety, particularly about way-off future events. Michael is a complex character, with deep love for his mother, a budding crush on a friend (which is a very minimal part of the story), and who has developed so many powerful relationships in his complex. He's also a huge fan of stray cats. The time travel element here is savvy, and there are many times this book is laugh-out-loud funny, particularly for adults who get some of the nods to 1999's pop culture.
The rendering of anxiety here is so good, and I loved Mr. Mosely as a counter to Michael. Mosely reminds Michael that even if you don't do your best, you can try again the next day. It's something Michael AND Ridge learn together and separately.
There IS death in this book. Mr. Mosely dies in his sleep, and it deeply impacts Michael. The grieving process is well-done and realistic.
Some of the pieces of the story that readers will appreciate include the lower-middle class socioeconomic status, the apartment complex setting, Michael's mother being a single working mom, the passion all of these kids have for science and big questions about what happens in the future.
Erin Entrada Kelly continues to be one of my must-reads. I'm not a huge middle grade book reader because it's hard to keep up with everything, but I always make time for her work. I'm never disappointed.
This is a big hearted novel about anxiety, particularly about way-off future events. Michael is a complex character, with deep love for his mother, a budding crush on a friend (which is a very minimal part of the story), and who has developed so many powerful relationships in his complex. He's also a huge fan of stray cats. The time travel element here is savvy, and there are many times this book is laugh-out-loud funny, particularly for adults who get some of the nods to 1999's pop culture.
The rendering of anxiety here is so good, and I loved Mr. Mosely as a counter to Michael. Mosely reminds Michael that even if you don't do your best, you can try again the next day. It's something Michael AND Ridge learn together and separately.
Some of the pieces of the story that readers will appreciate include the lower-middle class socioeconomic status, the apartment complex setting, Michael's mother being a single working mom, the passion all of these kids have for science and big questions about what happens in the future.
Erin Entrada Kelly continues to be one of my must-reads. I'm not a huge middle grade book reader because it's hard to keep up with everything, but I always make time for her work. I'm never disappointed.