Book Nook: Clues to the Universe

 The only thing Rosalind Ling Geraghty loves more than watching NASA launches with her dad is building rockets with him. When he dies unexpectedly, all Ro has left of him is an unfinished model rocket they had been working on together.

Benjamin Burns doesn’t like science, but he can’t get enough of Spacebound, a popular comic book series. When he finds a sketch that suggests that his dad created the comics, he’s thrilled. Too bad his dad walked out years ago, and Benji has no way to contact him.

Though Ro and Benji were only supposed to be science class partners, the pair become unlikely friends: Benji helps Ro finish her rocket, and Ro figures out a way to reunite Benji and his dad. But Benji hesitates, which infuriates Ro. Doesn’t he realize how much Ro wishes she could be in his place?

As the two face bullying, grief, and their own differences, Benji and Ro must try to piece together clues to some of the biggest questions in the universe.

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

Why did you write this book?

I'd always wanted to write a book that incorporated both art and science--I heard something once at an author event that went along the lines of "art and science are the same in that they both draw patterns out of chaos", and ever since that line has stuck in my mind and I'd always had the vague concept in my mind of writing about an artist and a scientist and how they grow up. I wrote CLUES TO THE UNIVERSE to explore that concept, but also included so many things I loved and that were personal to me. I'd wanted to write about so many things--growing up Chinese-American, growing up as a shy kid learning to find their voice, navigating loss and grief as well as tumultuous middle school years--and I loved incorporating all those themes in CLUES TO THE UNIVERSE as well.

 

Why is it important for kids to see books that deal with loss and characters that aren't picture perfect?

Dealing with loss and grief is such a personal process. I think it's really important for kids to see books that deal with loss because there are so many ways in which loss can manifest, and I think there should be books out there that explore the different parts of loss. As for the characters, I think that sometimes characters can have flaws, but those flaws stem from really valid and understandable places. Benji's mom may be overbearing at times, but in reality she really is trying to look out for her two kids and raise the family as a single mom. Ro and Benji sometimes come into conflict, but that's because they are both characters who have such strong motives and ways they go about doing things. Characters don't have to be picture-perfect because people in real life aren't picture-perfect sometimes, but sometimes those shortcomings come from a genuine place, even if a bit misguided or miscommunicated. 

What surprised you most about the process of writing this book?

I was so pleasantly surprised by how easily the character's voices came to me. When I started writing this book, I knew it was going to be a dual-POV book, and so I originally thought that'd be a challenge, as I hadn't written middle grade or dual-POV before. But the more I started writing, the more the characters organically developed. Ro took on this really logical, level-headed voice. Benji, on the other hand, loved to make exaggerations and had an artistic and a bit of a sarcastic voice, and before I knew it, I was cracking jokes during his chapters. It did take a while to figure out their voices, but once I did, it was an absolute joy writing them.

Christina Li is a student studying economics at Stanford University. When she is not puzzling over her stats problem set, she is daydreaming about characters and drinking too much jasmine green tea. She grew up in the Midwest, but now calls California home. Clues to the Universe is her debut novel. Find her online at www.christinaliwrites.com.