Clues to the Universe

November 16, 2020
Debut author Li explores themes of bullying and cultural identity, volleying between two seventh grade narrators who, on the first day of school in 1984 Sacramento, mistakenly switch folders in science class. Budding scientist Ro, who is “exactly half Chinese, a quarter Scottish, and a quarter Irish,” lives with her mother and dreams of sending a rocket to space to honor her late father. Benji, a talented white artist who’s not fond of school, is obsessed with comics series Spacebound, which he’s convinced is authored by his absentee father, whom he thinks is communicating with him through the story. After the swapped folders lead to a friendly bond, the pair strike a deal: Ro will help find Benji’s dad if Benji helps Ro build a science fair–winning rocket. But with a bully in their class determined to thwart them both and their plan hitting roadblocks, their friendship suddenly seems anything but certain. Though the plot unfolds slowly into a predictable arc, alternating first-person chapters provide insight into each character’s fears, worries, and hopes, creating two compelling, relatable protagonists who recognize the strengths in their differences and help each other forge new paths forward. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jessica Regel, Foundry Literary.

November 15, 2020
An aspiring scientist and a budding artist become friends and help each other with dream projects. Unfolding in mid-1980s Sacramento, California, this story stars 12-year-olds Rosalind and Benjamin as first-person narrators in alternating chapters. Ro's father, a fellow space buff, was killed by a drunk driver; the rocket they were working on together lies unfinished in her closet. As for Benji, not only has his best friend, Amir, moved away, but the comic book holding the clue for locating his dad is also missing. Along with their profound personal losses, the protagonists share a fixation with the universe's intriguing potential: Ro decides to complete the rocket and hopes to launch mementos of her father into outer space while Benji's conviction that aliens and UFOs are real compels his imagination and creativity as an artist. An accident in science class triggers a chain of events forcing Benji and Ro, who is new to the school, to interact and unintentionally learn each other's secrets. They resolve to find Benji's dad--a famous comic-book artist--and partner to finish Ro's rocket for the science fair. Together, they overcome technical, scheduling, and geographical challenges. Readers will be drawn in by amusing and fantastical elements in the comic book theme, high emotional stakes that arouse sympathy, and well-drawn character development as the protagonists navigate life lessons around grief, patience, self-advocacy, and standing up for others. Ro is biracial (Chinese/White); Benji is White. Charming, poignant, and thoughtfully woven. (Fiction. 9-12)

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December 1, 2020
Grades 5-8 In 1980s Sacramento, two disparate seventh graders find themselves pulled into each other's orbit. Ro, a science/space fanatic and excellent student, is adjusting to a new school and life without her recently deceased father. Benji, a talented artist but disinterested pupil, is preoccupied with a series of comics written by the father he never knew. A chance mix-up sparks a careful confidence between the two quiet kids, and their rapport grows to a place where they reveal their secrets: Ro plans to finish an enormous rocket she'd been constructing with her dad, and Benji seeks to reunite with his father. The pair join forces to see things through, all while navigating the maze of middle school. This sweet story tackles big subjects--bereavement, growing up in a mixed-race family, familial estrangement--with a light touch, grounding the quirky characters in warmth and humor. It's impossible not to root for Ro and Benji as they discover the fun of imperfection, the wisdom that comes with failure, and the joy to be found in unexpected friendships.

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January 1, 2021

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-olds Ro and Benji are both having a rough start to the school year. Ro's father recently died, and her mother can no longer afford her private school tuition. Transferring to a school where she knows no one proves difficult, and overhearing conversations of students trying to guess her biracial ethnicity (she is white and Chinese) is painful. Benji, who is white, is lonely and aimless because his best friend, Amir, moved across the country. When Ro and Benji begin working on a science fair project together, an unlikely friendship is formed. While the two are very different in terms of personality and interests, they bond over the shared experience of not having a father. The combination of Ro's aptitude for science and logic and Benji's artistic talents and laid-back personality results in a good team. Soon the two are working on more than a science fair project. They are helping each other fulfill a dream that will bring them closer to their absent fathers-building the rocket Ro and her dad were going to work on together and tracking down Benji's comic book creator father. Since the story is set in the 1980s, before use of the internet was widespread, finding Benji's father is no easy task. The novel feels contemporary, so the setting may be somewhat confusing for readers who don't understand the technological limitations. Ro and Benji alternate narration, which helps the reader see their evolving perspectives of each other and provides a mechanism for telling their backstories. The book would have benefited from a stronger distinction between the two voices, though a heading at the beginning of each chapter indicates which character is speaking. It is refreshing to see a strong friendship between female and male characters depicted in a middle grade novel; it's the authenticity of this relationship that drives the heart of the story. VERDICT The message of resilience, courage, and friendship will resonate widely with young readers. Themes touched on include grief, fears, bullying, and identity, making the work highly discussable and a good candidate for classroom use.-Juliet Morefield, Multnomah Cty. Lib., Portland, OR

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