Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada

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Figure 1. Hello, Universe book cover (2019).

Evaluation of Book

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly tells the story of how four people become best of friends during a day of chaos. Eleven-year-old Virgil Salinas wants to be friends with Valencia Somerset, but she has no idea. His best friend, Kaori Tanaka, and her sister, Gen Tanaka, try to help him figure out what he can do to overcome his shyness to make this happen. At the same time, Valencia Somerset wants her nightmares about being alone to end. She believes that she is good at being alone due to others usually not knowing how to interact with her because she is deaf. Little does she know, she is about to have her world flipped upside down when she decides to meet with Kaori Tanaka, a proclaimed psychic. However, before they can all be friends, the three girls must find Virgil because the local bully, Chet, pulls a prank that causes him to go missing.

The Illustrations of Hello, Universe help guide the reader while also foreshadowing what will come. First, the cover art shows a boy underground while three girls and a dog look about a forest, looking for something or someone. Then separate from the others, the back of the book shows a boy with a stick, lurking around. Also, the title page has a picture of a jump rope. These pictures foreshadow what will happen in the book. Next, each chapter has a picture of something to help guide the reader to know the focus of them. The first chapter provides the story through the eyes of Virgil, and the picture is a guinea pig. For the remainder of the story, the reader knows that chapters with the guinea pig will be from the point of view of Virgil. The other chapters are seen through the eyes of Valencia, picture of a bird with a nest, Kaori, picture of a stars chart with zodiac signs, and Chet, picture of a snake.

The characters are another great thing about this book. Each person has such a strong, unique personality. First, eleven-year-old Virgil’s shyness holds him back from making new friends easily. However, his kind heart, love for his grandmother, Lola, and his loyalty to his friends make him a character you root for throughout the book. Next, Valencia plays the part of a strong person that can take on the world. She is book smart, enjoys nature, and exudes confidence. However, she fears the dark and feels so alone. Then there is Chet Bullens, the neighborhood bully. His father taught him that embarrassment is the best way to help teach people their flaws. Because of this, he harasses everyone he meets, even snakes. Last, Kaori plays the psychic, a person with confidence and a desire to understand the universe. She is also the best friend and business partner anyone could ask for in life. These unique characters make Hello, Universe a fun read.

Dialogue, or lack thereof, also plays a big role in Hello, Universe. The big issue from the start of this book is that Virgil does not voice his thoughts. Lola, his grandmother, keeps trying to entice him into talking about his life and desires, but only snippets come out, a little at a time. Due to this, Virgil allows small details that annoy him to become big problems. One example is him not telling his parents that he hates them calling him Turtle. The nickname came about because they believe he will never come out of his shell, being confident like the rest of the nuclear family. This chips away at him each time they say it, and yet he says nothing. Also, he desperately likes a girl at school; however, he can not even say, “Hi,” to her which leads him to think of himself as the ultimate looser. This image of himself sets out a string of events that help him learn that he does have a voice.

Response

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly helped broaden my views on friendship. The idea that Virgil and Valencia both feel alone and yet could have been friends all school year helped me realize that I need to make an effort to chat with fellow teachers. Who knows what each person’s outside work life is like. Maybe some people need an extra friend to help them enjoy life more fully. I also agree with Erin Entrada Kelly’s forethought to have Valencia strong and independent, a positive view for someone dealing with hearing loss. If more books clue in that all people have different personalities, no matter their background, then more people will be exposed to this concept. Hopefully this will help people become more accepting of all people in the world and just look for kindness in others. Because of these concepts plus the personal growth of Valencia, Virgil, and Kaori, I enjoyed this book.

Conclusion

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly is a fun read for anyone that enjoys realistic fiction with a hint of mystery. And because the characters are so diverse, the odds are that many will identify with one or more. Out of four stars, this book earned all four.

Citation

Kelly, E. E. (2017). Hello, universe. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Willis, C. (2019). Hello, universe book cover (photo). Retrieved April 28, 2019 from

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hJhbU_PmO6NVQ_eciWXzIthAg4S3rJSM/view?usp=sharing