{"product_id":"the-center-of-everything-isbn-9780544340695","title":"The Center of Everything","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor Ruby Pepperdine, the “center of everything” is on the rooftop of Pepperdine Motors in her donut-obsessed town of Bunning, New Hampshire, stargazing from the circle of her grandmother Gigi’s hug.  That’s how everything is supposed to be—until Ruby messes up and things spin out of control. But she has one last hope. It all depends on what happens on Bunning Day, when the entire town will hear Ruby read her winning essay. And it depends on her twelfth birthday wish—unless she messes that up too. Can Ruby’s wish set everything straight in her topsy-turvy world?\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003eVOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers 2013 list     \"\u003cem\u003eThe Center of Everything\u003c\/em\u003e travels a satisfying, circular path that deliberately echoes the shape of a donut. . . . Wishing has a useful place both in childhood and in this novel; but so, too, does reality, especially when rendered with this kind of sensitivity.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Meg Wolitzer, \u003cem\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Another gem from one of my favorite authors! Ruby Pepperdine and her wish will work their way into the center of your heart, where they’ll remain (along with a yearning for donuts) long after you close the book.\"\u003cstrong\u003e—Ingrid Law, author of \u003cem\u003eSavvy,\u003c\/em\u003e a Newbery Honor Book\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\"A beautiful, sensitive, thoughtful novel that will make you think and smile and think some more, and fall in love with Linda Urban's books.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award-winner\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Every book by Linda Urban makes me laugh, cry, hope, wonder, and fall in love with her writing. With \u003cem\u003eThe Center of Everything,\u003c\/em\u003e she has done it again!\"\u003cstrong\u003e—Barbara O’Connor, author of \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow to Steal a Dog\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e * \"Throughout this slim, affecting novel, Urban treats Ruby's bewilderment with care, and gracefully reinforces the value of friends, family, and community.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eBooklist,\u003c\/em\u003e starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ruby's large imagination and even bigger heart are beautifully evoked as the sixth grader finds a way to keep the memory of her grandmother alive.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e* \"A poignant, finely wrought exploration of grief.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eKirkus,\u003c\/em\u003e starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\"By turns thought-provoking, humorous, and poignant, Ruby's story introduces a multi-faceted character well worth meeting.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eHorn Book\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Give this to patient readers who enjoy Polly Horvath's \u003cem\u003eThe Vacation\u003c\/em\u003e (2005) and \u003cem\u003eEverything on a Waffle\u003c\/em\u003e (2001).\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* \"[Urban] compactly, gently addresses some common aspects of grief: the isolation, the regrets, the bargaining, and the epistemological questions about meaning. . . . This is a terrific first step up for kids who are just beginning to explore more complicated novels.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—\u003cem\u003eBulletin,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003estarred review\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Clarion Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890037551333,"sku":"NP9780544340695","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780544340695.jpg?v=1730232423","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-center-of-everything-isbn-9780544340695","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}