Childrens

Hello, Universe

Hello, Universe

  • Downloads：9979
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-12-23 06:52:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Erin Entrada Kelly
  • ISBN：006241416X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello， Universe is a funny and poignant neighborhood story about unexpected friendships。

Told from four intertwining points of view—two boys and two girls—the novel celebrates bravery， being different， and finding your inner bayani （hero）。

In one day， four lives weave together in unexpected ways。 Virgil Salinas is shy and kindhearted and feels out of place in his crazy-about-sports family。 Valencia Somerset， who is deaf， is smart， brave， and secretly lonely， and she 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 stop being so different so 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 missing Virgil。 Through luck， smarts， bravery， and a little help from the universe， a rescue is performed， a bully is put in his place， and friendship blooms。

The acclaimed and award-winning author of Blackbird Fly and The Land of Forgotten Girls writes with an authentic， humorous， and irresistible tween voice that will appeal to fans of Thanhha Lai and Rita Williams-Garcia。

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Reviews

Sasha ，

This is a very charming book which is told in the viewpoints of 3 separate children。 Two of the characters are charming while one is a bully of epic proportions。 Vigil is a shy Filipino boy who has a close relationship with his Lola who tells him fanciful tales of heroes， monsters， and rocks that eat people from her motherland。 （The stories were some of my favorite parts of the book。） Then there is Valencia who is hearing-impaired。 Not only do these 2 characters share the same initials but they This is a very charming book which is told in the viewpoints of 3 separate children。 Two of the characters are charming while one is a bully of epic proportions。 Vigil is a shy Filipino boy who has a close relationship with his Lola who tells him fanciful tales of heroes， monsters， and rocks that eat people from her motherland。 （The stories were some of my favorite parts of the book。） Then there is Valencia who is hearing-impaired。 Not only do these 2 characters share the same initials but they also attend classes in the resource room for their difficulties in school。 Vigil has a crush on Valencia but is too shy to speak to her until fate brings them together。 The ending of this book is one of the sweetest I have ever read。 （There is also a fantastic character named Kamora Tanaka who is a child psychic who only offers her services to kids。） 。。。more

Elizabeth Moklestad ，

I got a little bored toward the middle， but the characters were relatable and cute and I enjoyed how everything came together in the end。

Alysia ，

It’s hard for me to rate this book。 It is a middle grade and it was an overly cute book about the universe and fate。 But I was bored with it。 Maybe because I am not 10-13 anymore。 I could not connect。 It maybe the perfect book for that age。 But not for me。

Amy ，

Unfortunately， this book was extremely predictable--other than one bit in the middle with a spirit in a well。 I was disappointed that the main character magically stands up to the bully at the end， despite showing no character growth during the book to explain that， and even more magically， the bully backs down。 Not believable。 I was also disappointed with some of the ways the characters talked or behaved to each other。 For example， you're never too old for bedtime stories。 Plus the whole premis Unfortunately， this book was extremely predictable--other than one bit in the middle with a spirit in a well。 I was disappointed that the main character magically stands up to the bully at the end， despite showing no character growth during the book to explain that， and even more magically， the bully backs down。 Not believable。 I was also disappointed with some of the ways the characters talked or behaved to each other。 For example， you're never too old for bedtime stories。 Plus the whole premise of how the kid gets trapped in the well was so unbelievable。 What reasonably smart kid doesn't go for help before jumping down when his house is nearby the well？ 。。。more

Kimi Loughlin ，

I am in an Erin Entrada Kelly ~mood~。 Her lovable dorky characters will always get me and I love forged friendships during hard times。 In Hello， Universe， we get a particularly fun friend group forming that seems to be aided by the spirits （as character Kaori Tanaka would say）。 It's heartwarming and has plenty of life lessons。 I am in an Erin Entrada Kelly ~mood~。 Her lovable dorky characters will always get me and I love forged friendships during hard times。 In Hello， Universe， we get a particularly fun friend group forming that seems to be aided by the spirits （as character Kaori Tanaka would say）。 It's heartwarming and has plenty of life lessons。 。。。more

Carrie ，

Her choice to use the word "retard" and "retardo" as an insult from Chet the bully doesn't thrill me， but overall the book is great with enjoyable characters and a positive message。 Her choice to use the word "retard" and "retardo" as an insult from Chet the bully doesn't thrill me， but overall the book is great with enjoyable characters and a positive message。 。。。more

R。G。 Spaulding ，

Such a great book。 I read it in one sitting。 Erin Entrada Kelly has a way of making the reader fall in love and care for all the characters。 Loved this book。 It is an excellent comp for writing an MG with multiple POVs。

Rebecca Harper ，

Lovely and creative book for the intended audience。

Sophia ，

I read this book a couple of years ago and it was the only book I wanted to read for the rest of the year。 In re reading it now and can’t put it down！

Hannah Bernadelli ，

Although this was a 2018 Newberry award winner it had some 1-dimensional characters and no real life lesson involved。 That's why I gave it only a 3/5。 The actual writing and word choices were pretty good， but I was just underwhelmed for a Newberry award book。 Although this was a 2018 Newberry award winner it had some 1-dimensional characters and no real life lesson involved。 That's why I gave it only a 3/5。 The actual writing and word choices were pretty good， but I was just underwhelmed for a Newberry award book。 。。。more

Brooklin S ，

I enjoyed this book。 I had to read it for ELA， and I liked it a lot！

Checkthebook ，

Not for us。 Contains ugly rants about the deaf girl， details about the zodiac and occult， and denigration of parents。 （Also， this is my personal opinion， I find it hard to take this type of highly emotionalized writing。） This book won the Newbery gold medal in 2018。 That， in and of itself， is a reason to avoid it。 The last useable Newbery winner was "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park in 2002。 Before that， you need to go back to the pre-1960 winners to find much。 Not for us。 Contains ugly rants about the deaf girl， details about the zodiac and occult， and denigration of parents。 （Also， this is my personal opinion， I find it hard to take this type of highly emotionalized writing。） This book won the Newbery gold medal in 2018。 That， in and of itself， is a reason to avoid it。 The last useable Newbery winner was "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park in 2002。 Before that， you need to go back to the pre-1960 winners to find much。 。。。more

Ruth ，

Juvenile fiction。 Some wonderful elements for classroom discussion but a bit slow in parts。 Surprised to learn it was a Newbery award winner。 Probably 3。5 stars。 Interesting characters， not entirely believable。

Abby Franks ，

Heartwarming story of identity， family， and friendship。 Absolutely adored all main characters and the short timeline of the events。 Highly recommend。

Wyshona D。 Lawson ，

I loved this book。 Friendship， quirky characters， fate， the universe colliding。 It was GREAT。

Emily Culver ，

This book was wonderful！ I don't have many books that are page turners for me， but even though this story is pretty simple and everyday， I found myself reading just one more chapter instead of going to bed。 The book does a great job of making the emotions of the kids relatable and feel as real as emotions feel when you're a kid。 Sure， an adult may look at a situation and it not be a big deal， but when you're a kid living through it， it is a big deal。 That came through really well。I liked how man This book was wonderful！ I don't have many books that are page turners for me， but even though this story is pretty simple and everyday， I found myself reading just one more chapter instead of going to bed。 The book does a great job of making the emotions of the kids relatable and feel as real as emotions feel when you're a kid。 Sure， an adult may look at a situation and it not be a big deal， but when you're a kid living through it， it is a big deal。 That came through really well。I liked how many diverse characters the book brought in in a very natural way。 It doesn't feel like a book about ethnicities， disabilities， and bullying， but those are all there。 Instead， it just feels like the characters learning to navigate the world with their own unique backgrounds。Finally， I think the book did a good job of making every day events feel adventurous， scary， and exciting， which is exactly how thing are when you're a kid！ Ultimately the whole book takes place in a single， pretty safe neighborhood， but the way the kids view it make it feel much bigger。 。。。more

Angela S ，

Readers will join the adventure about new friendships and relatable awkward situations。

Sarah ，

3。5 — Diversity。 Inclusive to people with hearing impairments。 Adventurous。 New Friendships。 Character POVs。 Themes of finding your inner-self and standing up to bullies。 A sweet， sweet grandmother that reminded me of my own。 Not a fan of some word choice， like retard。

Cheri Blomquist ，

Well-written overall， but I'm still not crazy about this book。 For some reason the more recent Newberys just don't impress me like earlier ones did， and I don't like the psychic element of the story， either。 Perhaps quality these days is taking a back seat to PC elements--diversity， wokeness， etc。 Well-written overall， but I'm still not crazy about this book。 For some reason the more recent Newberys just don't impress me like earlier ones did， and I don't like the psychic element of the story， either。 Perhaps quality these days is taking a back seat to PC elements--diversity， wokeness， etc。 。。。more

Margaret Martin ，

3。5 - I couldn’t help but think of the Amy Schumer sketch The Universe reading the last few chapters of this book。

Jill Tharp ，

The girls and I listened to this together。 What I loved most about it is the amazing discussion we had at the end。 Very bookclubesque。 Great story。。。well written and read。

Kimberly ，

Cute book。 I like how the characters’ lives wove together。 I liked the kindness and the courage。 I like how the author was able to capture a lot of how children that age think。 There wasn’t quite enough plot for me。 My kids liked it pretty well though。 Interesting how people try to understand the greater power…why certain things happen…how we get certain ideas…how seemingly unrelated things work together。 I feel like the author was trying to explore questions that seem easily answered through Go Cute book。 I like how the characters’ lives wove together。 I liked the kindness and the courage。 I like how the author was able to capture a lot of how children that age think。 There wasn’t quite enough plot for me。 My kids liked it pretty well though。 Interesting how people try to understand the greater power…why certain things happen…how we get certain ideas…how seemingly unrelated things work together。 I feel like the author was trying to explore questions that seem easily answered through God’s plan for us。 For me， it’s simple。 God is real。 He loves us。 We are not alone。 He helps us， inspires us， leads us， and He is involved in and cares about our lives。 。。。more

Seandhe Jardin ，

I like how the story shows that our fate is interconnected

Elainec ，

Throughout this book， Virgil， the main character， developed from a naive young boy who is scaredto speak up for himself into a grown up man who could advocate for his own needs。 This book is a realistic fiction book in 4 different perspectives: Virgil， Valencia， Bull， and Kaori。 They are tied up in a strange way， and they are different but same。 I would recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction， even though some parts might be really confusing。

Kayla Herrington ，

4 middle schools who become friends in exciting ways。 I love how diverse this book is， and I love that it's about identity and friendship making it perfect for middle schoolers。 I was so engaged by getting to know each characters。 Will have in my classroom library。 Publication: 2017Genre: Fiction 4 middle schools who become friends in exciting ways。 I love how diverse this book is， and I love that it's about identity and friendship making it perfect for middle schoolers。 I was so engaged by getting to know each characters。 Will have in my classroom library。 Publication: 2017Genre: Fiction 。。。more

Pawelp ，

AmazingI love the plot twists and the main characters。 Such a true story for people with extra help。 Love it！

James ，

*Spoiler Alert* I have to admit Hello Universe is one of my favorite books。 It makes you stand in other people's shoes。 For example， Virgil was trapped in a well and it showed how Virgil felt sad and lonely， and then you teleport to Kaoshui's house and it showed how she was waiting for Virgil。 It's impressive how the author can make you feel like your in the situation yourself。 Thank you Erin Entrada Kelly for writing this great！ *Spoiler Alert* I have to admit Hello Universe is one of my favorite books。 It makes you stand in other people's shoes。 For example， Virgil was trapped in a well and it showed how Virgil felt sad and lonely， and then you teleport to Kaoshui's house and it showed how she was waiting for Virgil。 It's impressive how the author can make you feel like your in the situation yourself。 Thank you Erin Entrada Kelly for writing this great！ 。。。more

Aubrey Bass ，

I wasn't super into this book when it started， which could be in part for my lack of enthusiasm with one of the narrators。 But， I ended up really enjoying it！ I would think this book would be best for an older age group， 12+ because of ideas like climbing into wells and texting strangers。 I wasn't super into this book when it started， which could be in part for my lack of enthusiasm with one of the narrators。 But， I ended up really enjoying it！ I would think this book would be best for an older age group， 12+ because of ideas like climbing into wells and texting strangers。 。。。more

Rose ，

For the most part， Hello， Universe is five stars; wonderful fully formed characters with distinct tempers， worries， age-appropriate decision-making skills （I'm still laughing about the "is my guinea pig depressed" anguish - and the bowls！）， etc， and both the comedic timing & emotional beats are spot on。 It's just， there's only so many times I can hear the r-word before wanting to throw the audiobook across the room。 Sure， this bully using it （and not being clever enough to get more creative） mak For the most part， Hello， Universe is five stars; wonderful fully formed characters with distinct tempers， worries， age-appropriate decision-making skills （I'm still laughing about the "is my guinea pig depressed" anguish - and the bowls！）， etc， and both the comedic timing & emotional beats are spot on。 It's just， there's only so many times I can hear the r-word before wanting to throw the audiobook across the room。 Sure， this bully using it （and not being clever enough to get more creative） makes sense， and of course the bully gets stood up to by the end。 But， I did not enjoy that aspect。 And would not be comfortable recommending this book to a child who has dealt with learning difficulties， without first talking with them about this particular insult。 。。。more

Sunny Kim ，

I liked this book and how Virgil learned to be brave。 i liked the part when Valencia d\had to go in Virgils house to see if he was there。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hello, Universe

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hello, Universe&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hello, Universe&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0