You Go First - by Erin Entrada Kelly (Hardcover)

About the Book

From the acclaimed and award-winning author of "Blackbird Fly" comes an engaging exploration of family, bullying, spelling, art, and the ever-complicated world of middle-school friendships.

Book Synopsis

Funny and poignant, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestseller Erin Entrada Kelly's national bestseller You Go First is an exploration of family, bullying, word games, art, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships.

In a starred review, School Library Journal wrote that Erin Entrada Kelly can "capture moments of tween anguish with searing honesty."

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.

During the course of one week, Charlotte and Ben--friends connected only by an online Scrabble game--will intersect in unexpected ways as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. The New York Times-bestselling novel You Go First reminds us that no matter how hard it is to keep our heads above troubled water, we never struggle alone.

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly writes with an authentic, humorous, and irresistible voice. This engaging and character-driven story about growing up and finding your place in the world is for fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.

Review Quotes

"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)
"Newbery Medal winner Kelly is spot-on in her depiction of isolation and self-doubt middle schoolers who don't fit in can feel. She gives Charlotte and Ben's e-friendship a contemporary hopefulness." - Cleveland Plain Dealer
"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)
"A delicate look at friendship, bullying and coming of age. ...You Go First is a brilliant follow-up to Entrada Kelly's Newbery winner Hello, Universe, and challenges readers to rethink the rules of friendship." - Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"Written by the recent winner of the Newbery Award, this novel speaks to the many kids who find themselves lonely in the midst of middle school." - Providence Journal
"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
"Kelly writes with sympathetic gravity of young people who feel lost in a world where they thought they knew the way. ...Readers will be glad to see that both [Charlotte and Ben] will manage to remain themselves and be okay." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books