21FA-LS-5653 - Inclusive Literature: Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
Bibliography:
Kelly, Erin Entrada. 2017. Hello, Universe. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 9780062414175
Plot Summary:
Summer just started, and Virgil Salinas is already feeling like a grand failure. Virgil feels like a failure because he failed to talk to Valencia Somerset, a classmate that he hopelessly wants to become his friend. He seeks the advice of his psychics, sisters Kaori and Gen Tanaka, about overcoming his shyness and finally meeting the girl he calls V.S. However, as Virgil and his guinea pig, Gulliver, collect stones in the woods, the school bully, Chet Bullens, confronts him and throws his backpack in an old well. The backpack with Gulliver in it! The only choice Virgil has is to face his fears and climb the ladder leading down into the well in hopes of saving his pet. Soon after, Virgil gets trapped in the well, and it's up to his intelligent and trusty friends, old and new, to rescue him.
Summer just started, and Virgil Salinas is already feeling like a grand failure. Virgil feels like a failure because he failed to talk to Valencia Somerset, a classmate that he hopelessly wants to become his friend. He seeks the advice of his psychics, sisters Kaori and Gen Tanaka, about overcoming his shyness and finally meeting the girl he calls V.S. However, as Virgil and his guinea pig, Gulliver, collect stones in the woods, the school bully, Chet Bullens, confronts him and throws his backpack in an old well. The backpack with Gulliver in it! The only choice Virgil has is to face his fears and climb the ladder leading down into the well in hopes of saving his pet. Soon after, Virgil gets trapped in the well, and it's up to his intelligent and trusty friends, old and new, to rescue him.
Critical Analysis:
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly is a middle-grade realistic fiction book about bravery and friendship. Kelly creates an imaginative story with vivid imagery and authentic characters. Virgil Salinas is an eleven-year-old boy who is nearly frightened of his shadow. His authentic Filipino grandmother encourages him to open up and talk about his grand failure, which is his failure to speak to Valencia Somerset. Valencia is deaf and manages her own conflicts throughout the story, such as feeling lonely and dumped by an old friend who discriminated against her because of her hearing disability. Kaori and Gen Tanaka are the spiritual guides of the story believing in the signs of the universe, and Chet Bullens is the pug-face-like antagonist who bullies everyone in his path. Readers will find genuine representation in the story, especially Valencia's view about her disability. Throughout the book, Valencia describes her hearing disability in great detail, such as the ability to read lips, using hearing aids, setting communication guidelines, and not knowing ASL (opposite of the stereotype that all deaf people know American Sign Language).
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly is a middle-grade realistic fiction book about bravery and friendship. Kelly creates an imaginative story with vivid imagery and authentic characters. Virgil Salinas is an eleven-year-old boy who is nearly frightened of his shadow. His authentic Filipino grandmother encourages him to open up and talk about his grand failure, which is his failure to speak to Valencia Somerset. Valencia is deaf and manages her own conflicts throughout the story, such as feeling lonely and dumped by an old friend who discriminated against her because of her hearing disability. Kaori and Gen Tanaka are the spiritual guides of the story believing in the signs of the universe, and Chet Bullens is the pug-face-like antagonist who bullies everyone in his path. Readers will find genuine representation in the story, especially Valencia's view about her disability. Throughout the book, Valencia describes her hearing disability in great detail, such as the ability to read lips, using hearing aids, setting communication guidelines, and not knowing ASL (opposite of the stereotype that all deaf people know American Sign Language).
Additionally, the author does an excellent job of writing unique characters that depict diversity and culture. Virgil and his family are Filipino, and Erin Entrada Kelly blends Tagalog language and mythology effortlessly into the story. For instance, Lola, Virgil's grandmother, warns Virgil about shy boys being swallowed whole by stones and calls him terms of endearment, like anak. Kaori and Gen are second-generation Japanese Americans who read horoscopes and use mysticism to predict futures. Valencia finds strength in her disability, which doesn't prevent her from living a normal preteen life, like exploring nature. The diverse cast of characters uses their differences and resilience to find one another and save Virgil. The narrative also blends into a contemporary setting of the first day of summer that is consistent with the plot and balances the good and evil of each character, like the strong friendships formed due to Chet Bullen's ignorance and harm (he calls Valencia deafo and Virgil retard, and legitimately throws Virgil's backpack in the well).
Overall, Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly is a realistic and relevant story that middle-grade readers will enjoy because of the diverse cast of characters and universal themes of strength and friendship. I recommend listening to the audiobook because the narrators, Ramon de Ocampo and Amielynn Abellera, perfectly voice every character. The chapters are written from different character points of view, and the narrators easily differentiate each chapter of the book. I switched between reading an ebook copy and listening to the audiobook. The audiobook gave me a better insight into how names and languages are pronounced, while the ebook emphasized parts of the story through illustrations at the beginning of each chapter — like Gulliver, the guinea pig! Readers will also identify with authentic depictions of hearing disabilities. The audiobook's narration of Valencia is clear, smooth, and not stereotypical to a deaf person. Readers looking for a genuine story about friendship, diversity, and inclusion should read this realistic fiction book.
Awards and Reviews:
- 2018 Newbery Medal Winner
- 2019 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee
From Kirkus Reviews, "An original and resonant exploration of interconnectedness and friendship."
From NPR, "Suspenseful, quirky and heartwarming, Hello, Universe makes the world a little smaller, and we are better for that."
From School Library Journal, “Readers across the board will flock to this book that has something for nearly everyone—humor, bullying, self-acceptance, cross-generational relationships, and a smartly fateful ending.”
Connections:
Discussion & Activity: Invite patrons or students to read El Deafo by Cece Bell after or before reading Hello, Universe. Once they have read both books, encourage the students to compare each story. Encourage them to ask questions and openly discuss what they learned. For instance, which book seemed more genuine? Did they learn anything new about hearing disabilities? Does anyone have any similar experiences or viewpoints from each book?
Suggest the following novels by Erin Entrada Kelly for patrons who enjoyed Hello, Universe:
- 2015. Blackbird Fly. ISBN: 9780062238610
- 2016. The Land of Forgotten Girls. ISBN: 9780062238641
- 2018. You Go First. ISBN: 9780062414182
- 2019. Lalani of the Distant Sea. ISBN: 9780062747273