This story is about Ruby Pepperdine, a twelve-year-old girl who is struggling to cope with the loss of her grandma, Gigi. In Gigi's last hours, Ruby thought her grandmother was trying to communicate with her, but she wouldn't listen. Everything begins spiraling for Ruby and, for once, she is uncertain of what she is supposed to do. Ruby makes a new friend in her quest to understand what Gigi was telling her, while at the same time, her best friend gets mad at her. Ruby feels that her only hope remains in reading her Bunning Day Essay.
I think this book is a really fun story for young readers as it takes the reader on the journey with Ruby. When I was reading, I found myself making connections to my own life, and with young readers, they could make those connections too. Looking back on the type of books that I enjoyed reading in Elementary school, this would have definitely been one of my favorites.
The book also has a really great lesson that sometimes we should just stop and listen, live in the moment. Another aspect that I really enjoyed is when Ruby finally communicates with her family, and she finds out that she isn't the only one who misses Gigi. This is a great lesson for young children because it's true that when they look at adults, they see them continuing their lives like nothing happened, and they try to mimic that behavior; however, in reality, they should know that it is okay to be sad, and when they are sad, they can talk to someone about it. The Center of Everything truly is a fantastic book for young readers.
"If you stopped watching her, you might see it yourself. You might hear it, too. Hear it all coming together.
Listen."
