The Center of Everything

The Center of Everything by Linda Urban is a coming-of-age story for a young girl whose grandmother has recently passed away.  Ruby Pepperdine lives in Bunning New Hampshire where it is said the inventor of the donut settled after spending years on the ocean in his sailing ship.  Ruby’s grandmother passed away, her best friend is mad at her, and she wants things to go back to the way they were.  When Ruby finds out that she will be reading her award-winning essay on Bunning Day, she can’t wait for her 12-year-old birthday wish to come true.  If it does, it might just change everything…

The story is told with flashbacks as Ruby thinks back to how she came to stand where she is at the end of the parade route on Bunning Day, winning essay in hand.  This story will definitely resonate with middle grade readers who enjoy realistic fiction.  It is a quiet story with interesting characters and issues that many young people face – the death of a loved one, misunderstandings among friends, and familial expectations to be good.  I have enjoyed all three of Linda Urban’s books – with her quiet writing style, that really allow the character’s voices to shine.   For more information about Linda Urban and her books, check out her website.  I think Urban says it best, “I’ve always been interested in small things. Tiny gestures, phrases, moments that can seem insignificant to one person and hugely important to someone else. In my books, I write about the small things that matter in a big way.”

Title: The Center of Everything
Author: Linda Urban
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books
Publication Date: 2013
Page Number: 208 pgs.