The First State of Being, by Erin Entrada Kelly (eBook preview)

Each year, the American Library Association honors the most distinguished titles among children’s and Young Adult literature. This year’s winner of the John Newbery Medal is Erin Entrada Kelly, author of The First State of Being.

It’s August 1999. For 12-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever — except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his 16-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. And when Michael discovers that Ridge has a book that outlines the events of the next 20 years, his curiosity morphs into focused determination to get his hands on Ridge’s book. How else can Michael prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it? The First State of Being was a finalist, in 2024, for the National Book Award. Read via the Libby app, obtained through Sacramento Public Library.
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