This is exactly the kind of middle grade fiction that reminds you why the Newbery exists. It's smart, funny, and emotionally rich without being manipulative or didactic.

The time-travel hook is clever—Ridge showing up from the future and being fascinated by 1999 tech is genuinely charming—but the real story is about friendship, trust, and what happens when you want something (that future-predicting book) so badly you lose sight of what matters. Michael is a great protagonist: awkward, anxious, dealing with real stuff (his mom's financial stress, his crush on Gibby), and making mistakes that feel true to being 12.

Kelly doesn't waste words. The Y2K setting adds texture without being gimmicky, and the 'first state of being' concept—about living in the present—lands without feeling preachy. This is the kind of book that works for a wide range of kids: strong readers in 4th grade will get it, and 8th graders won't feel like it's beneath them.

If your kid liked When You Reach Me or needs something with substance after burning through Percy Jackson, this is it.