The Center of Everything

Ruby Pepperdine feels out of sync with her life in Bunning, New Hampshire. Since her beloved grandmother Gigi's death, Ruby has been replaying their final conversation and wondering if she should have done things differently. The town's annual Bunning Day celebration is approaching, and Ruby has been selected to read her winning essay during the parade. She believes that if she can perfect a special birthday wish at exactly the right moment during the festivities, everything in her world will realign. As Ruby navigates friendships, family relationships, and her role in the upcoming celebration, she grapples with questions about fate, listening, and the way seemingly small moments can have large ripple effects. The story explores how one girl finds her way through grief while learning to be present in her own life.

Readers emphasize the authentic portrayal of a twelve-year-old girl's perspective and emotions as she deals with loss and friendship challenges. Parents note the book helps children process grief and life changes. Readers liked: - The realistic middle school social dynamics - Integration of donut shop setting and donut metaphors - Handling of complex family relationships - Clean content appropriate for younger readers Readers disliked: - Slow pacing in the first third - Some found the donut metaphors overdone - Resolution felt rushed to certain readers Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (50+ reviews) Notable reader comments: "Captures that awkward middle school feeling perfectly" - Goodreads reviewer "A quiet story that sneaks up on you emotionally" - Amazon reviewer "The donut references got repetitive" - Goodreads reviewer

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🎠 Like Ruby Pepperdine, author Linda Urban grew up in a small town and had a close relationship with her grandmother who taught her to appreciate stories and imagination. 📝 The book explores the mathematical concept of "center" in multiple ways - physically, emotionally, and metaphorically - while weaving in elements of both geometry and poetry. 🍩 The circular shape of donuts plays a significant symbolic role throughout the story, representing both Ruby's memories of her grandmother and the cyclical nature of grief and healing. 🎭 Linda Urban wrote parts of the novel while sitting in her car during her daughter's theater rehearsals, drawing inspiration from the quiet moments between activity. 🗣️ The author spent time interviewing middle school students about their experiences with friendship and loss to ensure the book captured authentic tween emotions and relationships.