The best things in life have a delicious center: cream filled doughnuts, Reese's Cups, Oreos, King Dons (oh, I miss them). It seemed to make sense to begin my #nerdlution with a book I've been hearing so much about from my book-loving friends, The Center of Everything by Linda Urban, which is a finalist for this year' Nerdy Book Award.
Urban's character, Ruby Pepperdine, has made a mess of things. Her best friend, Lucy, is no longer speaking to her. She's not sure Nero will ever be her friend after what she has done. In a few moments she'll be reading her essay that won this year's Bunning Essay Contest in front of the entire town. Nothings been right for Ruby since her grandma died. Ruby makes a wish to make things right again, but "greedy wishers always have things backfire on them." Hopefully her wish will come true and she'll be able to make everything right.
"There are two schools of thought about the secrecy of wishes. One is that you should always tell, because you never know who might be able to help you get what you wished for. [...] The other school holds the birthday candle philosophy: to tell a wish is to ruin its chances of happening." -Linda Urban, Center of Everything (p. 121)
This story which centers around a friendship, a broken heart, and a wish is delightful. Linda Urban had me thinking a lot about wishes in her beautiful story that moves effortlessly back and forth in time. Being a "grandma girl" like Ruby, made the story even better for me. If you haven't read The Center of Everything yet, what are you waiting for?
More About Center of Everything
Nerdy Book Club: The Center of Everything by Linda Urban, A Not-Quite-a-Review by Kate Messner
Teach Mentor Texts: The Center of Everything and Poetry Friday
It is a beautiful book, I agree Cathy. You've shared just enough to make everyone read it if they haven't already!
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