The First State of Being: A Time-Travel Adventure Novel about Friendship and First Love―a Newbery Medal Winner

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WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL

A FINALIST FOR THE 2024 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

INDIE BESTSELLER

Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2024

Shelf Awareness Best Books of 2024 for Kids and Teens

BookPage Best Middle Grade of 2024

Common Sense Media Best Books of 2024

2025 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable List

When twelve-year-old Michael Rosario meets a mysterious boy from the future, his life is changed forever. From bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly, also the winner of the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe and a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, this novel explores themes of family, friendship, trust, and forgiveness. The First State of Being is for fans of Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me.

It’s August 1999. For twelve-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 sixteen-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.

It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident, and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn’t where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999—fascinated by microwaves, basketballs, and malls—Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years, and his curiosity morphs into something else: focused determination. Michael wants—no, needs—to get his hands on that book. How else can he prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it?

A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves, this thematically rich novel is distinguished by its voice, character development, setting, and exploration of the issues that resonate with middle grade readers.

Finalist for the National Book Award and Winner of the Newbery Medal.

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Read all the books from Erin Entrada Kelly!
When Lalani Sarita’s mother falls ill with an incurable disease, Lalani embarks on a dangerous journey across the sea to find the fabled girl with golden feet, in the hope of safeguarding her own future. A humorous and poignant page-turner about family, bullying, art, Scrabble, and the challenges of middle school friendships. Every day in Fawn Creek, Louisiana, is exactly the same—until Orchid Mason arrives. 2018 Newbery Winner! Told from four intertwining points of view, the novel celebrates being different, bravery, and finding your inner bayani (hero)! 2021 Newbery Honor title! Meet the unforgettable Cash, Fitch, and Bird Thomas in this pitch-perfect middle grade novel set in 1986 about family, friendship, tragedy, science, and exploration. 2025 Newbery Winner! Michael Rosario, a twelve-year-old Filipino boy living with his single mother in an apartment complex in Delaware, meets a mysterious boy from the future in this suspenseful novel.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Greenwillow Books
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 5, 2024
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063337312
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063337312
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 – 12 years
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 – 7