Mock Newbery 2026 discussion

The First State of Being was chosen for our discussion in April.

Could this earn Erin Entrada Kelly another Newbery award? What do you think?

Sci-Fi is not my favorite genre, but this novel has many positive qualities. My check-list for literature targeted toward young readers includes positive vocabulary, quality life-lessons, character redemption, and a healthy respect for positive authority (parents/teachers/God). The First State of Being ticked most of these boxes. I appreciated the themes of family, friendship, trust, and forgiveness on both sides of the time continuum.

I loved this book. I think she could be in the running. My review:

Michael is twelve and is very, very worried about Y2K. This story takes place in an apartment complex in Delaware in the summer of 1999, and he and his sometimes babysitter (though he’s too old for a babysitter) have just met a boy named Ridge from the future.

A quick read, this story speeds by in a heartfelt and compelling narrative, full of characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned. Kelly has always written stories about beautifully awkward children, and this is no different, as readers watch Michael fumble on the cusp of young adulthood. The grief of everyday people, a wave of 90s nostalgia all interspersed with peeks into Ridge’s family in the future through their log books and conversations, it come together to provide a perfect slice-of-life with a side of time travel. It is beautiful to watch Ridge shake Michael out of his anxiety-ridden state and into a “first state of being.” I love this book and I’m going to buy it for the school library. I definitely think it is a contender for the 2025 Newbery.

FIRST STATE OF BEING by Erin Entrada Kelly is a well constructed time travel narrative. It tells the story of a teenager in 2199 who uses an untested prototype time machine to travel back to 1999. As he explores local wonders, such as the mall, microwave oven and landline telephone, his family works in the future to repair the machine that can bring him home.
Fear about the Y2K computer bug add drama to the 1999 storyline. Young readers of today may be unfamiliar with the anxiety that preceded the turn of the century/millennium as the year 2000 drew near.
Themes explored are whether we would benefit from knowing the future and the importance of living in the present moment.
An excellent new title.

Sci-Fi is not my go to either, David. This one worked for me as I liked Michael, Gibby, Mr. Mosley, and Ridge. Readers can connect with the anxiety about the future the kids were experiencing. As Kate stated, living in the first state of being is where we should all be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The storyline kept me engaged wanting to know more. I think the characters were likable. I agree with what others have said about the message. We should not be worried about the future and live to the fullest were we are now. I would say this is one of my top Newbery contenders so far.

I really enjoyed this book

I give The First State of Being a thumbs up. It fits well with the average age of Newbery readers, many will enjoy it. Previous reviews have offered many good reasons for this to be in the running. Like a good SciFi, it gives us a lot to consider surrounded by solid characters and a critical situation moves the narrative along.

The First State of Being focuses on three children, 12- year-old Michael, his 16-year-old babysitter Gibby, and Ridge a teenage boy from the future, who are all confronted with Ridge's problem. Before long Ridge realizes the dangers of remaining with his new friends Michael and Gibby in the past. The three children try to imagine how they can send Ridge back to the future, a feat that has never been accomplished before. Science fiction buffs will love this riveting adventure, interspersed with puzzling NPR Doubletalk Globalcasts, and Audio Transcripts. I'm also not a science fiction reader, but I found the interaction between the 3 youngsters heartwarming, and the time travel adventure intriguing. This title could make the Newbery list, the author has already won Newbery, as well as a Newbery honor award.

I’m one of the few members that does not really like this author’s books. In fact, Hello, Universe is one of my least favorites and brought me to this group. Disliking that title started my Newbery challenge reading journey which I’m coming close to finishing. When we selected this title I was disappointed. Then all of your stellar reviews came in along with my library hold so I decided to suffer through- boy was I pleasantly surprised. I’m giving it 5 stars- so distinguished in many areas. This would make a great read aloud- thanks to this group to push me so I did not miss out on a fantastic title. I’m cheering this title on for a win- it checks so many appropriate boxes.

I, on the other hand, am a big fan of science fiction, whether for kids or adults. I thoroughly enjoyed this time travel novel. I found the characters very engaging, the setting was fleshed out, the future interludes were fascinating, and I especially loved the final reveals from the sumbook. A big thumbs up from me, and a five-star read.

I'm always happy to see a genre like science fiction produce a book that is considered a possibility for a major award. This is a pleasant, heartstring-tugging read but I don't think reached the profound plane it was reaching for. It should have a good shelf-life for Reader's Advisory. I was strongly reminded of John Townshend's The Xanada Manuscript (renamed The Visitors in the States) to an uncomfortable degree. I'll try to put down my suspicions to the fact the latter is a much better book.

I LOVE time travel/time loop, etc. stories so I was excited to read this one. While I was reading I kept feeling like I was waiting for it to kick off and worried that I'd be unsatisfied, but this is one that I can't stop thinking about--long after I've finished. I found this to be Newbery-worthy, particularly in the way the story was crafted.

My review was: "Oh, I love all of this! Michael (and the reader) learns some very valuable lessons about living in the moment, the futility of obsessing over the future, and paying kindness forward. I also loved the hints about what happened to our 1999 characters and the reassurance that a small act can have long-lasting repercussions."