You Go First - Hardcover

Kelly, Erin Entrada

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062414186 ISBN 13: 9780062414182

Publisher: GreenWilBk, 2018

Synopsis

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly's You Go First is an engaging exploration of family, bullying, spelling, art, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships. Her perfectly pitched tween voice will resonate with fans of Kate DiCamillo's Raymie Nightingale.

Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different--Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They're both highly gifted. They're both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.

Over the course of a week, Charlotte and Ben--online friends connected only by a Scrabble game--will intersect in unexpected ways, as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. This engaging story about growing up and finding your place in the world by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, Universe and the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.

About this title

Review:

"Kelly knows her audience well and uses Ben and Charlotte's alternating points of view to capture moments of tween anguish with searing honesty. ...Heartfelt and hopeful, this novel will encourage young readers to offer their hand in friendship to kids who, just like them, might be struggling."--School Library Journal (starred review)

"Readers will undoubtedly see themselves in these pages. ...A well-crafted, entertaining call for middle schoolers to find their voices and remain accountable in shaping their own social spheres." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The link between the two main characters becomes a subtle bond that enables each one to make it through an emotionally challenging week and come out stronger. Readers drawn by the intriguing jacket art will enjoy the novel's perceptive dual narrative." --Booklist

"With character-revealing prose, Kelly holds readers' attention as the narrative moves back and forth between her two fully realized protagonists and their intricately drawn home and school settings." --The Horn Book

About the Author:

Erin Entrada Kelly grew up in south Louisiana and now lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Erin's mother was the first in her family to immigrate to the United States from the Philippines. This is Erin Entrada Kelly's first book.

About this edition

• Publisher: GreenWilBk
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0062414186
• ISBN 13: 9780062414182
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304