Ram Readers Spring 2019 discussion
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
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This book was interesting, the read was pretty easy. I would have to say I don't know if I agree with the recognition. I am by no means an expert on what books should get what kind of recognition. I was left to wonder if the friendship between Virgilio and Valencia flourished. I can see why the book might have been recognized or at least have some opinions on why it might have been recognized. It could be because this was an original story that tied in with some of Virgil's culture especially when he is stuck at the bottom of the well and he remembers his grandmother's stories. Virgil is a shy boy that doesn't stand up to himself and runs away from his bully. He also has a crush on a girl named Valencia who is deaf and is struggling with being treated as a normal human being despite her inability to hear very well even with her hearing aids. As I reflect on the dream that Lola (his grandmother) had at the beginning of the book. "She'd been dreaming about the Stone Boy for days now." The dream was always the same: a shy boy--not unlike Virgil--gets terribly lonely, takes a walk in the forest and begs a rock to eat him." P.5 Towards the end of the book Virgil tells his grandmother that like that story he too was eaten by a rock and his friends helped chisel him out. I took this as a metaphor and that falling through the well trying to get his backpack and his hamster Gulliver that was tossed by his bully down the well. Towards the end of the book, Virgil tells Lola, "I got eaten, like the Stone Boy." "But my friends chiseled me out,", he said. This is the part that I took as a metaphor because after coming out of the well he came out differently he stood up to his bully, he also tells his mom that he doesn't like being called turtle. It doesn't say at the end of the book but a message was sent to Valencia from Lola's phone but Valencia has a feeling that it wasn't from Lola rather it is implied that Virgil sent the message. I like how the book was written with each chapter dedicated to a character in the book and an image representing the character in the book. Kaori was an interesting character as well I found it funny how she used her "talent" to read the stars and tell fortunes geared to only children her age and younger. There was also some insight into the bully in the story and how he perceived Valencia as someone who "got away" with things in the classroom due to her disability. There was also some insight on why Chet might have been a bully, there was a chapter where he was at the store with his dad and the dad makes some rude remarks and they both laugh it off. The way she carries herself is amusing, it makes me wonder if she really had the ability to read the stars or if everything that happened in the book was a mere coincidence.
"Hello, Universe" is another great novel about young adolescents and friendship. The characters did not become friends until the end of the book, but unlike "Flipped" I was left content the way it ended. As the reader, I knew that Kaori and Valencia would become great friends as they would make great partners in business, and that Virgil's "hello" would be the start of a wonderful friendship- besides it was fate that brought them together. I really enjoyed this novel and completely agree that it deserves the Newberry Award. Aside from it being organized very well, and written through the thoughts of the young characters the story continued in their point of view unlike in "Flipped" where we read the same series of events but in the two character's point of view.
I love the characters that Erin Estrada Kelly created. I really enjoyed the integration of culture and different beliefs. I think this novel allows for students to not only open their eyes to students that are different, but to also consider their own beliefs.
Discussion questions:
Are things simply a coincidence? Or is it fate? Do you believe in fate?
How does a person become deaf? Why do some students get pulled out of class?
Virgil and Valencia add a great plot to the story. I think this novel is a great way for students to learn that there are students with disabilities, and that they might be in the same classroom as them, but that does not mean that they should be treated indifferently -with disrespect. I think this novel can encourage students to build friendships with students that are different from themselves, whether the student is deaf or has a learning disability.
I think the author did an amazing job hooking the reader by creating interesting (mysterious at first) characters who can easily be actual students in our own classroom. I think it allows the reader, student, realize that we are all interesting and worth getting to know.
Nancy wrote: "This book was interesting, the read was pretty easy. I would have to say I don't know if I agree with the recognition. I am by no means an expert on what books should get what kind of recognition. ..."I really enjoyed Lola's stories and how the author tied them when Virgil was stuck in the well. Ruby was like his guardian angel. I wish Virgil had built enough courage to say "hello" or "thank you" to Valencia when she saved him like he said he would "if" he got out of the well. He did manage to stand up to his bully when he noticed Chet was afraid of Sacred, and tell his mom to stop calling him Turtle. I actually really liked the end. I felt like it all came together and that they were going to become true friends when he texted her "hello."
Chet was one of my least favorite characters because of his actions, but in a way it was not completely his fault. He idolizes his dad because of his "power" and what he teaches him. My least favorite quote that his dad says is, " You might as well be nothing if you don't excel at something." I feel like this does not give a child enough room to make mistakes or succeed. That is why Chet is so hard on himself and take it out on others.
Chet's dad's attitude reminds me of Bryce's dad in "Flipped."
While I found Hello Universe to be a nice easy read that was enjoyable, I don't know if I quite agree with the recognition of it receiving the Newberry Award. I felt like the book was lacking something, and the ending kind of left me hanging...I would have loved to know if Virgil and Valencia's friendship blossomed and if Valencia and Kaori's business took off and whatever happened to the bully Chet? I have always thought that Newberry Award winners should have the extra pizzaz and Hello Universe didn't for me, I always thought they raised the bar to be considered for them? I did enjoy the story though, I enjoyed reading it from each of the four kids perspectives, I thought that did make the story unique. I also thought the stories from Lola added to the story and gave it depth. In the end I did enjoy seeing Virgil and Valencia starting to come out of their shells and give themselves a voice. I think the quote "it doesn't take many words to turn your life around" sums up the book nicely.
I loved this book!! I felt like I could connect with these characters so much. For someone that is shy as well and having friends that are weird makes this book hit home. The way that everything just flows smoothly like it was meant to be in the storyline makes me so happy. I believe that everything happens for a reason so when Erin Entrada Kelly wrote the books so that fate had something to do with it made me want to read more! I believe students can see themselves in these characters as well. I know that many students have a hard time being social and that there are some students that are just quiet. They like to keep to themselves that doesn’t mean they like being alone a lot like Valencia or Virgil. It just takes some time for them to warm up to someone and really become friends with them. I believe this story has enough action, adventure and excitement for an adolescent to really get into this book. Even I who am 24 got really into this book from the moment that Virgil said he was a Grand Failure. Some people can also relate to having a bully as Chet who would pick on those that seem weaker or different than them. It gives readers someone to not like. I know that it is not Chet's fault for how his parents (mostly his father) raised him to be. I got so angry when Chet's father and Chet were making sarcastic remarks of someone else thinking that it’s their duty to “straighten someone up” because they thought of themselves as “normal.” I really didn’t like the way that Chet's father was teaching Chet that those who are disabled had something wrong with their head. Since that chapter, I understood why Chet was the way he was. It made me happy when “the universe” was putting Valencia and Virgil together as friends. Even when it took many, many tries so that Virgil will have the courage to stand up and “open his eyes.” It gave me the courage after reading this story to do things that make me afraid.I felt bad for Virgil when he had to put up with his family calling him a turtle. Sometimes parents don’t know but poking at someone else’s insecurities will make them more insecure about those things. I know they didn’t mean any harm, but I feel like it is only making Virgil stay in his “shell” more when they keep reminding him of how shy he really is. The way his father thinks that sports are better for boys than playing the piano makes me think that sometimes his own dad can be ignorant. I mean it really doesn’t matter what hobby their child chooses to do as long as they love to do it. Parents should be happy that their child is into something a lot. Adolescents might even be able to understand Virgil in these areas as well. I know of many parents that without thinking hurt their children because of what they say. For example, the way that Virgil’s parents kind of did with him. I feel that this story can help students see that it doesn’t take a person to fall down in a well for them to change a little about themselves till they can overcome things that might be putting them down. Even if it takes them little steps at a time it is okay because, in the end, they are one step closer to the finish line. I loved how in the end Virgil did everything he was never able to do. For one, stand up to Chet (with the help of Sacred). Stand up to his mother so she will stop calling him Turtle. As well as talk to Valencia. Even if the book ended with that one text from Virgil I am just glad that he got the courage to text her as well as keep Sacred as his pet, because that was one of my worries since the book introduced Sacred as the dog without a home. I am just glad that he found a home at the end, and that their owner might find himself a new friend or a girlfriend by just reading the way that one text from Virgil made Valencia get butterflies in her stomach. I understand why this book has gotten an award and I believe it deserves it one hundred percent.
Nancy wrote: "This book was interesting, the read was pretty easy. I would have to say I don't know if I agree with the recognition. I am by no means an expert on what books should get what kind of recognition. ..."I understand where you are coming from how none of us knows how people get awarded an award for their book. I do say that it might be how the author did write about characters that other adolescents might relate to or see themselves in as you said. I feel though that she in a way might help those young adults out who at this stage in their adolescents are trying to find themselves and fit into something or someplace. The way that Valencia had always believed that she was fine being alone in the end we know that those dreams are telling her that she really isn't fine with that. The way that there are so many young readers that know how Virgil feels on being a shy person or the "black sheep" of the family can really resonate with readers. I like the way that the author gives hope to those kids thinking that they will always be the way they are. The author is trying to tell them that taking little steps towards who they or what they want to accomplish is something to be proud of. I think for me that's the reason that the author won this award for her book. Also, you are right that this book was an easy read! I read it in one sitting, that's how much I liked it!
Veronica wrote: ""Hello, Universe" is another great novel about young adolescents and friendship. The characters did not become friends until the end of the book, but unlike "Flipped" I was left content the way it ..."I agree with you Veronica when it comes to feeling happy the way that it ended. I would still want to know if Virgil and Valencia did get together or not, but I'm fine if I don't as well. I agree that this author had such a variety of characters with interesting backgrounds that you never see too many in one book. I liked the way that the author gave a little insight on how the other characters minds worked or what they were thinking. This made me understand why they were the way they were written in the story. For example, with Chet and his bullying problem. After reading his side of the story and how he thinks and the environment he was raised in I understood where he got that bullying problem. Also, your questions would be great questions to ask your students when they are reading this book. I can see how some great debates can arise from these questions depending on the students you have. In the end, I agree with you that this author deserved this award for such a great story and a great message as well!
After reading this book, I suddenly realized why the name of this book has a relationship with the universe. It's probably because the mysterious workings of the universe make many things coincidental, like everything that happens in this book happens on the same day. Four different children, completely impossible to have the intersection of children, finally because of a variety of coincidences linked together. They experienced growth and transformation after what happened that day. Virgil is a shy boy whose parents call him “Turtle”, but he is kind-hearted and likes Valencia who is a deaf girl. They are both problems children. Also, Virgil is always being bullied by Chet who is an insecure boy. I think one of the key players is Kaori who connected everyone, she is a self-proclaimed psychic and she has a sister whose name is Gen. Every plot in the book is closely related. Virgil is bullied by Chet, his bag has a guinea pig Gulliver was Chet thrown into the well. To save Gulliver, Virgil himself was trapped in the well and placed rocks related to Valencia on the side of the road. Valencia then discovered the stone on his way to Kaori and so on. Finally, Virgil realized that he needed to be a brave man. Valencia also made friends and was no longer lonely.I like this novel very much, it made me understand that in fact, many things will have a turn, there are opportunities. As long as you are willing to do, as long as you want to do, then the universe will help you to give you energy. In fact, everyone is initially kind and brave, we should be good at finding their own heroes, and brave to face their own imperfections, overcome it. Believe that the world is beautiful, the power of friendship is infinite.
Hello, Universe is one of those books that I could not put down. I also think that it should be a book that everyone picks up and reads. The story is about four kids, all narrating at times. It tells their backgrounds and point of views, like Wonder. None of them know each other until a bully, Chet, traps Virgil and his guinea pig in a well. I really fell in love with Kaori and how she helps her friends. She considers herself a psychic and even has business cards. She knows all about astrology and zodiac signs, you could say she has a knack for reading people. She has a lot of good little sayings throughout the novel. (Speaking of sayings, there are a TON of smilies and metaphors to teach imagery with).
I liked the conversation between Ruby and Virgil in chapter 28 when they were talking about silence. It said “silence is good sometimes, that when you’re able to hear best.” This hit home because I feel like this is so true and many people have a hard time wrapping their head around it and feel the need to be with people talking constantly. (But, Kaori would tell me that is my Pisces nature).
I really liked the characters in the book and their backgrounds. I feel like a lot of students could relate to them and their thoughts that they have in some way. Another part that I wrote down was in chapter 30, “you might as well be nothing if you don’t excel at something.” Chet’s father had told him this, which is hard to hear. I think this is probably something that a lot of kids now-a-days feel; if they are not at the top then why should they try.
There are so many good discussion topics throughout this book about being different and I am already researching novel studies to use with this book for my students before the year is over!
I remember when Hello Universe won the 2018 Newbery Award, and I also remember reading the positive and negative press about Erin Estrada Kelly’s win. If I had been on the Newbery Award committee, Hello Universe would not have been my choice for the Newbery Award. In my opinion, it is a very busy book, so busy that character development and plot elements combine to form a cluttered jumble until the novel’s rather predictable resolution. Like the other novels we have read for this course, Hello Universe is told from an adolescent point of view. In this case, the narrative voices switch between the adolescents populating the novel, including the aptly named and obnoxious Chet Bullens. Chet Bullens presents the author with an opportunity to explore the motivations behind bullying behavior, but instead, Chet is written as a one-dimensional character. The reader is exposed to Chet’s family and may certainly draw their own conclusions from Chet’s hero worship and interaction with his father, but I think the author missed an opportunity to dive deeper into the character’s struggles and frustrations with the other adolescents in the novel who he perceives as using their differences as a demand for attention. "Then again, she probably wore those big hearing aids just to get attention. She didn't try to hide them which only proved his point." (p. 97) I found that all the characters in Hello Universe were not developed in depth especially when I compared them to characters in other novels we have read for our course. Neither Virgil, Valencia, Chet, or Kaori approach the depth of characterization found in Ponyboy from The Outsiders or Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.
As I read Hello Universe, I noted multiple plot elements running through the novel; a hero’s journey, children struggling and learning to cope with disabilities, failure, resilience, school bullying (and I would also argue a little unintentional bullying at home as well), multigenerational households, Filipino culture and folk tales, loneliness, psychics etc. At times, I had the impression that the author was wrestling with the plot struggling to compress all the plot elements into a satisfactory conclusion. As a consequence, I felt the plot in Hello Universe resolves itself too neatly saved only from mediocrity by my enjoyment of Virgil’s self-awakening and self-actualization as a hero.
Amanda R. wrote: "While I found Hello Universe to be a nice easy read that was enjoyable, I don't know if I quite agree with the recognition of it receiving the Newberry Award. I felt like the book was lacking somet..."I also thought that it is missing something. I could not connect with the plot until later in chapter 15!
This was an amazing book! There is no doubt that the author Erin Entrada Kelly has quite an imagination. The book was a fairly easy read, but that does not mean that it was not good. The storyline grabbed my attention and I was hooked all the way through. I was just amazed at how all the events were happening and unfolding. There were some instances where things seemed to be off, but as you read further, you would see that there was a reason for her mentioning and making the plot go a certain manner. Coincidence? I feel like the characters were well developed as well. Each had their own personality and I feel that many of the readers (especially adolescents) can relate to some of these characters. Sometimes it is hard to have someone who knows and understands where one is coming from and being able to relate to characters in a book can allow them to self-reflect and produce whether an action or a solution. I am a firm believer in that “things happen for a reason” and I get the feeling that the author had this in mind as she was writing this book. As she did, I just enjoyed reading as everything unfolded and made my own connections throughout the book. I defiantly agree that this book deserves the Newberry Award!There are several things that we could get out of this book. First and foremost, friendship. I find it interesting how friendships happen sometimes. The book just reminded me of my high school friends and how I developed that friendship with the girls to which we still have today! I was at a high school for a year and a half. I transferred to another high school that was a vocational one. I wanted to take part of this program they had. I remember I was in the new school four days in and I was all alone with no friends. I thought I was not going to have any friends at all and be miserable for the rest of those years. Well, I was in the lunch line on the fourth day and I had a girl bump into me. As soon as I turned around, I saw a group of girls just staring at me. The girl who bumped into me asked me if I was new, where I came from, if I had anyone to hang out with and nicely invited me to be a part of their group. About a year later or so, I found out that the girl who bumped into me did not do this by accident. She purposely did this in order for us to talk and of course ever since then we have been great friends! Just like this book reminded me of my friends, I am sure this can also happen to others. It is a good reminder of just how important friendship can be. Another thing that I thought about with this book was bringing up the topic of those who are deaf or disabled in any sort of manner. Many students make fun of or point to things that unfamiliar to them. If they have someone tell them what it is or how it works, things are not so funny. In this instance, hello Universe did a great job in talking about deafness. These two things are just some to consider. There are many more themes and topics we can get out of from this book.
Lisa wrote: "A Newberry Award winner!Do you agree with this recognition?"
I thought this was a cute, delightful novel, but it isn't one of my favorites. I enjoyed the four main characters, each with their own struggles but also their own (mostly) lovable quirks. I had a bit of trouble getting into it because it felt a little disjointed the way it moved between different characters who had so little in common, but once I began to see how their stories intertwined I liked it more. I envisioned the characters in the story as 4 individual pieces of string that started out completely separate, then became seemingly hopelessly tangled together, then finally the author worked through their tangles - but instead of returning to 4 individual pieces of string, they joined together to form a neat, perfect bow. :)
That said, I will say that I don't know that I would have chosen this as the Newberry Award winner. I don't know which books it was up against the year it was chosen, but it seems like most novels that have won the award have a great deal more depth and profundity to them. As I said at the beginning of this post, the first word I would use to describe Hello, Universe "cute" - and "cute" doesn't begin to compare to the words I would use to describe other young adult books such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Outsiders. I would certainly recommend it to my students as an enjoyable book to read for fun, but I probably wouldn't use it as a book to have my whole class read. I simply feel there are better choices out there that are more complex and allow for more in-depth analysis.
Veronica wrote: ""Hello, Universe" is another great novel about young adolescents and friendship. The characters did not become friends until the end of the book, but unlike "Flipped" I was left content the way it ..."Veronica, I like the questions on fate, that could lead to some very interesting discussions. It is interesting how we go on about our daily lives but when we stop to think about questions like those they bring in deep discussions.
Amanda R. wrote: "While I found Hello Universe to be a nice easy read that was enjoyable, I don't know if I quite agree with the recognition of it receiving the Newberry Award. I felt like the book was lacking somet..."Amanda, I felt the same way about the recognition it was awarded. However, reflecting back on the book the author included some of the character's culture by including words and phrases as well as stories, the ones Lola told. After going back and seeing that there was probably a deeper message of finding one's self (Virgil). I can see why the book got recognition. In the beginning, Virgil was timid, shy and didn't stand up for himself. I took the story that Lola told him about the boy being eaten by a rock as a metaphor for something deeper. When Virgil was rescued he came out different he was able to stand up for himself and tell his mom that he didn't like being called turtle and he also stood up to his bully Chet.
First of all, I looked up what has to be considered to be a Newberry Award winner: Interpretation of the theme or concept.Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization. Development of a plot.Delineation of characters.
Delineation of a setting. Appropriateness of style. This book definitely met all of these criteria and understand why it was chosen for this prestigious award.
This was the first time I listened to a story through an audio book and let me tell you that I loved it! I am definitely doing that again. It really helped bring all the characters to life and helped me enjoy the story even more.
I really enjoyed how the author described each character and their development throughout the book. My favorite character was Kaori because she was like an old soul and I loved her energy and intellect. I admired Valencia for her strength and how she viewed the world through different eyes because of her deafness. She never let people get to her and that takes strength. I feel like Virgil had to go through being stuck in that well to find the strength that was hidden deep within him. I felt most sorry for Chet because he behaved that way because of his father, who sorry for my French, was an ASS! Finally Lola reminded of my grandmother (Wela) with her stories and her anecdotes about life. I felt as if I was listening to my Wela every time Lola spoke.
I liked how the author left the ending really up to the reader, suggesting that Virgil and Valencia would finally be friends and that Kaori and Valencia would most likely have an amazing friendship. One thing that I truly agree with in this book is that there are no coincidences, everything happens for a reason. I truly believe that!
Sandy wrote: "First of all, I looked up what has to be considered to be a Newberry Award winner: Interpretation of the theme or concept.Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization...."
As I read your response to this book, I was reflecting back on my response and I feel like I placed a heavy emphasis on the plot of things more so that the actual characters. But as I am now thinking about it, it seems as though almost everyone of them had something to overcome or had something to prove of themselves. I agree with you in the descriptions you have of the characters. The person who I would have loved to hear more of was Chet. We know that he was the character who frankly was very hard to like. He was not much lovable and we got to get a glimpse of why his behavior was like so. I guess, I just wanted to have closure with him, but I never did. When we went to class this past Thursday, I just love the way that a co-student explained it: the author had many bits of stories that all seemed like a giant octopus with tenickles all over the place and soon these sub-stories needed to condense down to one who story. It was just ashamed that we did not hear from Chet more. I also agreed throughout the whole entire book that there were no coincidences and that everything was happening for a reason. I personally believe this to be true in real life as well. I may have just instilled this belief while I was reading, but the more I read it, the more convinced I was!
MollyKate wrote: "Hello, Universe is one of those books that I could not put down. I also think that it should be a book that everyone picks up and reads. The story is about four kids, all narrating at times. It tel..."MollyKate,
I see that you fell in love with the character in the book, Kaori, who is like the psychic. I have not been much of a big believer in psychics and zodiac signs, but after reading this novel, she kind of got me curious into thinking about this. She even got me to think about maybe going to a psychic place to get my palm read. She was just an interesting character who was so strong in her beliefs. She was confident in who she was and was very direct. She was never lost or confused, but through her experiences in this book she gained positive ones and along the way a new friend. I am not sure if she saw this coming, but I am pretty sure she was glad to have one! I also wanted to mention that I also noticed all of the similes and metaphors in the book, I just forgot to mention it in my response.
The quote you mentioned above in the book: “silence is good sometimes, that when you’re able to hear best.” I actually have that quote highlighted and underlined. When I read it, there was like a wave of goosebumps that came over me. This reminded me of how during work I usually put on the radio to listen as I work. I have had coworkers make comments about how they always see me with the radio on and usually critique that station I am listening to. The point is, I do not remember that last time that I was fully aware of silence and could really hear my own thoughts. Frankly, this is an issue that I have now discovered. See I have told myself that I would like to write a book. I have parts of my book done, (the beginning and end) but strangely enough I do not have the middle part of it. Kinda strange uh? Well, I think I need to start listening to myself, and meditate on this instead of trying to fill in the silence with music or events to make actions happen. This might be a strange connection I just made, but somehow it made sense to me.
Amanda wrote: "Lisa wrote: "A Newberry Award winner!Do you agree with this recognition?"
I thought this was a cute, delightful novel, but it isn't one of my favorites. I enjoyed the four main characters, each ..."
I agree with you completly! Hello Universe is a cute, delightful read, but beyond that I would'nt say it blew me away it was just a delightful read, it just fell between didnt' hate it didnt love it.I have just always considered award winning books to be profound and I just didnt walk away with profound feelings from this novel.
Melissa wrote: "I remember when Hello Universe won the 2018 Newbery Award, and I also remember reading the positive and negative press about Erin Estrada Kelly’s win. If I had been on the Newbery Award committee, ..."I agree Melissa, This novel probably could have been much better had the author not added in so many "cutesy" details . I think we never learn enough about each character , maybe Estrada aimed too high and missed trying to have 4 main characters? The storyline was there it just needed some further development to go from ok to extraordinary.
My son is reading this book in his 4th grade class and I really enjoyed sharing parts of the story with him. I think that believing in fate is knowing that some things are meant to be. I liked how the author gives a purpose to each character so that Virgil gets to overcome his fears and get to have friends at the end of the story. During the time that Virgil stayed in “the dark” when he fell in the well, he thought about the things going on in his life. This time helped him recognize the things he didn’t liked and got the courage to change them. So, when he got out of the well he stood up to Chet, then he went home and ask his mom with respect not to call him turtle anymore. He was able to talk to Valencia and felt that he had friends.
Veronica wrote: ""Hello, Universe" is another great novel about young adolescents and friendship. The characters did not become friends until the end of the book, but unlike "Flipped" I was left content the way it ..."I agree with you Veronica,
I believe Virgil talking to Valencia is a good start for friendship. I really liked how diversity is included in the book with the Philippine culture and people with disabilities.
MollyKate wrote: "Hello, Universe is one of those books that I could not put down. I also think that it should be a book that everyone picks up and reads. The story is about four kids, all narrating at times. It tel..."I believe this is a great book to use in the classroom. My son is reading this book with his 4th grade class and he is amazed by it. The students can do many activities with the book. They can relate the characters to their personal experiences, determine character traits, compare characters, etc.
Chapter 22 is when the novel started for me. “Imagine you are someplace else” that for me was the turning point of the drama. Virgilio started to think, the noise was mute, and he felt the reality of death close to him. The wisdom of the well. I gave that name to those chapters where Virgil was trapped in the well and started to talk to Ruby. All those conversations with his grandmother came back to him in Ruby’s, the moment he needed it the most. Phrases like “there are many ways to fight”, “never ask, what’s the point”, “giving up is never to start the race” and my favorite “that is the problem, people don’t want to listen to their thoughts so they fill the world with noise” I searched for the meaning of his name, and found out that it meant tough, virile. With that information, I learned that he was not living up to his name until that moment.As a teacher, I learned a great lesson that I will apply in the classroom. For example the resource room. Listening to the student’s perspective of the resource room, I started to wonder, how much harm is done by sending a student to the resource room? How many times we send to the resource room the student who challenges our teaching method. Am I the one who needs the resource room to learn how to be more loving, learn how to listen when the students are not talking? I do understand that asking for help is necessary, but the hidden reason should not be that we just want to have less students in the room, or that we do not want to invest more time in one of them.
Veronica wrote: ""Hello, Universe" is another great novel about young adolescents and friendship. The characters did not become friends until the end of the book, but unlike "Flipped" I was left content the way it ..."I agree that the ending of this one is great. I think it does deserve the recognition because it develops the school experience in an unique way empowering the reader to be courageous.
Lizette wrote: "Veronica wrote: ""Hello, Universe" is another great novel about young adolescents and friendship. The characters did not become friends until the end of the book, but unlike "Flipped" I was left co..."Yes, the characters were real to me. I can take a walk in the school courtyard and can point out every single one of them close to 100% accuracy. That is one of the reason that I like the book. I would love to have a book club in the school just to read for pleasure.
Lizette wrote: "I loved this book!! I felt like I could connect with these characters so much. For someone that is shy as well and having friends that are weird makes this book hit home. The way that everything ju..."I was a very shy student in school, even in college I was pretty quiet. Actually, Dr. Dryden could vouch for that. Even in college, I didn’t really speak in class until, like you said, I warmed up to my classmates and felt comfortable to share my thoughts. I hope this book would encourage young adolescents that read it to understand shy and quiet students and instead of teasing them or making them feel bad, bully them, students would make an effort to understand and try to become friends with them instead.
I was also hooked to know why such a young child was considering himself as a Grand Failure. I was actually surprised to find out it was about a girl. My first thought was that he had failed the grade or an exam.
MollyKate wrote: "Hello, Universe is one of those books that I could not put down. I also think that it should be a book that everyone picks up and reads. The story is about four kids, all narrating at times. It tel..."Hi MollyKate,
I agree with you. I also like Kaori very much and I think she is a very amazing person. I have always been interested in astrology. She can help her friends in this way and connect all the characters together. I think she is great.
Lorena wrote: "My son is reading this book in his 4th grade class and I really enjoyed sharing parts of the story with him. I think that believing in fate is knowing that some things are meant to be. I liked how ..."Hi Lorena,
I think your son likes this book, the story of this book is interlinked, the reader will be very satisfied after reading. I also like the ending of the story, everyone becomes better. Virgil became more courageous and Valencia also made friends.
Sandy wrote: "First of all, I looked up what has to be considered to be a Newberry Award winner: Interpretation of the theme or concept.Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization...."
Sandy,
Thank you so much for posting the Newbery Award criteria! I agree with you that the book met all of the criteria listed. However, because the Newbery Award is a competition, the winner is the novel that BEST meets all of those criteria. I still feel that I really don't know if Hello Universe! deserves the award because I haven't read any of the other books nominated the year it won and therefore can't compare them.
The novels that were chosen as the Newbery Honor books (which are the "runner-ups" for the Newbery Award and therefore probably were Hello Universe!'s stiffest competition for the award) for the year Hello Universe! was published were:
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes
Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds
Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson
Has anyone in our class read any of these 3 books? If so, how do you think they compared the Hello, Universe! in terms of meeting the Newbery criteria? I am very curious to know and would love to hear your perspectives!
Lorena wrote: "My son is reading this book in his 4th grade class and I really enjoyed sharing parts of the story with him. I think that believing in fate is knowing that some things are meant to be. I liked how ..."How cool that you get to share this book with your son! It's interesting to get the perspective of a child. I like how you interpreted Virgil being in the "dark" and how he overcame many of his fears while being stuck in that well. I also enjoyed the ending and was happy that Virgil truly did change his attitude about life and decided to live it differently.
Melissa wrote: "I remember when Hello Universe won the 2018 Newbery Award, and I also remember reading the positive and negative press about Erin Estrada Kelly’s win. If I had been on the Newbery Award committee, ..."I liked how you wrote about the unintentional bullying at home that I feel happens way too often, especially in multicultural families. I don't think these families realize giving kids nicknames or joking about their inabilities breaks down their confidence and they feel somewhat inadequate. Coming from a huge Hispanic family where I feel everyone has a nickname and we constantly joke about things, I never really thought about how it might make everyone feel until I read your post. I never really saw it as bullying, but in fact it really is.
Amanda R. wrote: "While I found Hello Universe to be a nice easy read that was enjoyable, I don't know if I quite agree with the recognition of it receiving the Newberry Award. I felt like the book was lacking somet..."Amanda,
I felt the same incompleteness you did when I finished Hello Universe. I enjoyed several aspects of the novel, and I really wanted there to be more to those aspects. I wish the author had shared more details about the folklore tradition behind Lola's stories. They were fascinating, and I looked forward to her storytelling.
Valencia is such a strong female character. I wish the author had gone into more detail concerning her struggle to learn ASL and the disconnect she feels from her parents.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Hello Universe, but I wish I wasn't left with so many unanswered questions.
Sandy wrote: "First of all, I looked up what has to be considered to be a Newberry Award winner: Interpretation of the theme or concept.Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization...."
Sandy,
I am so interested in listening to audio books. I keep meaning to try audiobooks, but then I opt for reading the way I have always read. I've wondered if some novels sound better than they read? If I could hear the characters' voices in Hello Universe would that help me connect better with the characters' stories? I struggled to make those connections when I read Hello Universe.
I'm glad you mentioned your connection to Virgil's grandmother's stories. Sometimes I stumble across words or phrases that my grandparents used but have fallen out of usage. It reminds me how much of a positive impact multigenerational experiences have on children.
Do you mind sharing how you use audiobooks? Do you rent them from the library or use a service like audible?
Hello, Universe, is a fun novel to read. The novel has lots of character development, humor, and insights concerning relationships with family and friends. The story is interesting, fun and fast moving My favorite character is Virgil’s grandmother. I believe life lessons is the best learned wisdom. Even though the story does not go into the grandmother’s past you can’t help but notice her strong character of empathy and integrity she shares with Virgil. She respectfully calls him Virgil and not Turtle as everyone else. Did no one notice or even care that Virgil hated the nickname Turtle?
The sad part is that nearly all kids/parents are dysfunctional. I believe Hello, Universe engages the heart and mind of the reader as the novel shares about the struggles of a special needs tween and ultimately life victories. The lives of four very different idle schoolers whose lives all come together to solve a problem. This book contains great character development and good lessons.
Melissa wrote: "I remember when Hello Universe won the 2018 Newbery Award, and I also remember reading the positive and negative press about Erin Estrada Kelly’s win. If I had been on the Newbery Award committee, ..."I agree with Mellisa, the characters in this novel were not as developed as other characters in novels we have read. Theses characters were in their tweens, not quite teens yet. Therefore you can somewhat understand the dysfunction of them. However, no excuse for the rudeness and bullying from the parents and older characters. I guess that's why I really liked Virgil's grandmother. She was strong character in the novel with respect and integrity to Virgil.
Lorena wrote: "My son is reading this book in his 4th grade class and I really enjoyed sharing parts of the story with him. I think that believing in fate is knowing that some things are meant to be. I liked how ..."The power he gained in the well, was enlightening to me. Often time we learn more about ourselves and learned our strengths during our struggles. I believe if Virgil was given life lessons from his grandmother but they never factored in until he had to use her words of knowledge to dwell on while alone in the well. Horrah for Virgil to stand up Chet and demand his family to call him Virgil and not Turtle. I enjoyed this book. I wish I was able to share it with someone while reading as you did.
Do you agree with this recognition?