Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr Hardcover Book

The Nile on eBay   Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr

A moving middle grade novel about one boy's journey to go back in time to prevent his parent's divorce.

FORMATHardcover CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

Rebecca Stead's The List of Things That Will Not Change gets a "Space Oddity" sci-fi twist in this "exceptionally lovely and uplifting" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) middle grade novel about one boy's journey to go back in time to prevent his parents' divorce. The present is the last place James wants to be. Since his parents have separated, he's been living two different lives and neither of them add up to the great one he used to have. He thinks about his Top Six memories and wonders if he can go back. During National Science Week, James meets the enigmatic Yan, a girl who looks at the world with x-ray eyes, and discovers that time travel might be possible after all. The two budding scientists' quest to restore James's lost past brings them into contact with retro Australian Women's Weekly birthday cakes, old Commodore computers, chaotic rideshare vehicles of the future, and spacemen. But as they get closer to their goal, James is forced to consider that his favorite moments from his personal history may not be as perfect as he remembers them.

Author Biography

Shirley Marr is the author of Little Jiang, Fury, Preloved, A Glasshouse of Stars, All Four Quarters of the Moon, and Countdown to Yesterday. Shirley lives in Perth, Australia, with her family. Learn more at ShirleyMarr.net.

Review

*An Australian boy embarks on a time-traveling mission in an attempt to return to simpler times. Eleven-year-old James Greenaway's Chinese Australian mom and white dad are separating, and the news makes him feel like an untethered astronaut in space. He can't help but fixate on happy memories from his past as he grapples with having two homes. One day, a change in James' routine leads him to meet Yan, a Chinese girl whose love of retro computers and unique way of thinking open up the possibility of time travel. All he must do is decide on which of his six favorite memories he'd like to return to. But did things really happen the way he remembers? Could he have reasons to stay in the present? Marr's captivating prose imbues the story with heart, humor, and hope for the present and the future. The author deftly weaves multiple themes of family, friendship, nostalgia, and growth into a richly layered and thought-provoking tale that will linger in readers' minds long after it's over. Cultural references (such as to an iconic Australian birthday cake cookbook), an original take on time travel, and perfectly imperfect characters just doing their best all create a vivid sense of place and will make this title resonate with children and adults alike. An exceptionally lovely and uplifting exploration of change, memories, and relationships. (Fiction. 8-12)--Kirkus Reviews, STARRED "04/15/2024"Channeling personal experiences of emigrating from China to Australia, Marr (All Four Quarters of the Moon) examines one 11-year-old's desire to turn back time in this thoughtful read. James Greenaway is sent adrift when his parents announce that they're getting a divorce. Within days, he's splitting time between his white-cued father's familiar house and his Chinese Australian mother's dilapidated new apartment. Worse, his parents are having him decide which parent he wants to spend his weekends with. At school, James befriends Yan Chen, a Chinese immigrant classmate who reads obsolete 40-year-old computer programming manuals for fun. When Yan says she invented a time machine, James scoffs. As he increasingly takes solace in memories of perfect days with his parents, however, he starts to believe that living in the past would be preferable to the present. But to do that, he'll need Yan's help. A subplot surrounding a school baking competition that relies on classic Australian cake constructions leads to laugh-out-loud antics and touching insights. Discussions of time travel lean more toward wistful fantasy than hard science, and the tweens' desire to bend time provides a framework through which James gains new perspectives on his own memories. Ages 8-12. Agent: Gemma Cooper, Bent Agency. (June)--Publishers Weekly "3/18/2024"

Details ISBN1665948515 Author Shirley Marr Publisher Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Year 2024 ISBN-13 9781665948517 Format Hardcover Publication Date 2024-06-18 Imprint Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Audience Children / Juvenile Pages 272 Audience Age 8-12 DEWEY FIC We've got this

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