Kelly, Erin Entrada.
HELLO UNIVERSE
New York : Greenwilllow Boos, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 5.1
ISBN 0062414151

2 booktalks

Booktalk #1

Four middle schoolers. Each with their own story to tell.  Virgil Salinas is shy and is bullied because of his learning disabilities.  Chet Bullens takes delight in bullying Virgil and goes out of his way to terrorize him.  Valencia Somerset is deaf and also goes to the resource room with Virgil. Since her best fried dumped her for kids who could hear, Valencia is alone and finds it hard to find  new friend. And Kaori Tanaka who fancies herself a psychic telling fortunes for other kids.  Their paths will cross when Chet tosses Virgil's backpack down an abandoned well. Now it will take the combined efforts of the others to save his life.

Booktalk #2

Sometimes, it feels like you are alone. Virgil and Valencia are both struggling with this feeling. Virgil talks to his Lola and his best friend Kaori, but the most important thing in his life is his guinea pig, Gulliver. When the local bully, Chet, inadvertently throws Gulliver down a well. Virgil goes in the well to save Gulliver and becomes stuck. Valencia is feeling alone and reaches out to Kaori after finding her business card at a grocery store. Kaori believes that she is psychic, and has a feeling that something is going on with Virgil. Will they be able to find Virgil? Will Virgil and Valencia be able to stop feeling alone? (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award 2019-2020)