Author Erin Entrada Kelly continues to be the darling of the Newbery Medals board. She now has two Newbery Awards and one Newbery Honor Book in her quiver. Frankly, the first two nods she received for Hello, Universe and We Dream of Space, were a little puzzling, as both of these books were a little underwhelming and at times felt like a chore to read. However, The First State of Being is an engaging and enjoyable read from beginning to end. The author’s trademark elements around themes and historical settings are present, but this time there is a strong hook, the pacing is on-point, and the sci-fi element provides the right amount of intrigue. A mixed format of traditional narrative chapters, excerpts from articles and books, and audio transcripts were effective in keeping the reader interested. The audio transcripts were brilliant–and hilarious. This is a book that middle grade readers will enjoy right alongside the Newberry Medals board.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 12 religious profanities.
Violence/Gore: Older character shoves a younger character roughly; report that a character died of natural causes.
Sex/Nudity: 12-year-character is a little sweet on his babysitter (thinks she is pretty and great); a character asks another character if he kissed a girl; passing thought about kissing someone.
Mature Subject Matter:
Financial/Economic pressures, death, shoplifting, parent abandonment, anxiety, bullying.
Alcohol/Drug Use:
None
