The First State of Being

Description

Title: The First State of Being
Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 2025
Format: Paperback
Language: English
ISBN-13: 9780063470613

The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly is a middle grade science fiction novel published by Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins Publishers. This paperback edition follows twelve-year-old Michael Rosario in August 1999, as worries about Y2K mix with ordinary life, family concerns, and his crush on his teenage babysitter, Gibby.

Michael’s world changes when a mysterious boy named Ridge appears and claims to be the world’s first time traveller. Ridge says he has come from the year 2199, and as he adjusts to 1999 life, Michael begins to wonder what the future really holds.

The story blends time travel, friendship, found family, first love, anxiety about the future, trust, and forgiveness. It is well suited for middle grade readers who enjoy thoughtful science fiction, character-driven stories, and books about learning to live with uncertainty.