Urban, Linda. The Center of Everything.

Urban, Linda.  The Center of Everything.  Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt Brace     2013 194p   ISBN 978-0-547-76348-4  elem/ms  Hardback  E-BN  Realistic fiction  

This is a quiet novel about wishes coming true, handling grief, and what is supposed to be.  Ruby made a wish on her birthday and is looking for a sign that it may come true.  There are several moments of quirky humor related to donuts, the town founder and Ruby’s family, and these moments lighten what could be a heavy novel about the importance of Ruby’s grandmother and how her death has changed the world for Ruby.  Ruby’s best friend gets so caught up in her acting that she does not see the turmoil that Ruby is experiencing.  However, one of Ruby’s childhood friends, Nero, introduces her to Einstein’s theories, the magnificence of the cosmos, and other scientific ideas in an effort to help Ruby understand what is supposed to happen.  An essay contest, an annual small-town parade, and lasting friendship all make for a happy ending.  This is a novel that would make excellent family reading, a chance to reminisce over times past and relatives both living and deceased.  The melodic text filled with visual details of people and places will soothe the reader and allow him or her to contemplate life in all its glory.  This is a first choice for inquisitive, thoughtful readers who are willing to delve into scientific theories and ponder the tough questions of life.  This book will linger pleasantly in the reader’s thoughts.  It is strongly recommended for upper-elementary and middle-school students.

Summary: Ruby is concerned that she didn’t do the right thing when her grandmother died. She makes a wish to relive the moment.  She believes that if she listens carefully enough, her wish will come true.  This is a quiet, contemplative novel about grief and friendship. Gr. 5-8.           

Grief-Fiction                                               --Lois McNicol