Erin Entrada Kelly wanted to write a love letter to one of her all-time favorite books—2010 Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. The result, Kelly's middle grade novel The First State of Being, just won the 2025 Newbery Medal.

She becomes the seventh two-time Newbery winner. Kelly also won the prestigious award in 2018 for her novel Hello, Universe. And she is one of five in that group to also have an honor title. Her book We Dream of Space was a 2021 Honor book.

“I haven't really been able to process it, and I don't even know if I can put into words what it means,” she said of the rarified company she joins. “I’m still shocked that people are reading my books. I'm being honest when I tell you, there's not a day that goes by where I'm just like, ‘How did all this happen?’

"It was my dream since I was a kid to be a published author. I just couldn't have imagined that all this has come to pass. It's still strange and surreal and wonderful to me that people are reading my books in the first place, much less honoring them.”

The First State of Being separated itself from a strong group of Newbery contenders.

The Newbery selection committee poses for a picture before the YMA ceremony at LibLearnX in Phoenix, AZ. Photo credit: Shelley M. Diaz

“Erin Entrada Kelly juggled so many things and did them all beautifully,” said Maeve Knoth, Newbery committee chair. “This is science fiction, adventure, kid-taking-his-mom's-car-without-permission, and even historical fiction if you are too young to have lived through Y2K! There are three important central characters who are distinct and well-drawn. The setting is so vivid—both time periods and place—and Kelly's themes about each of us being a part of making history and awareness of every moment as we live it are important and timely. The book is also a great romp.”

The First State of Being was also a National Book Award finalist.

“I did not foresee any accolades when I finished the book,” she said.

Each of her books starts with a “character of my soul,” said Kelly, admitting that “sounds kind of cheesy.”

For The First State of Being, that character was Michael.

“I knew I wanted to write a time travel book, and I knew I wanted to write about Y2K," said Kelly. "When I thought about Michael, it just seemed like he belonged in that story, if that makes sense.”

The book touches on many themes beyond time travel, including anxiety, loss and grief, friendship, class, and family.

“What I hope readers take away from my book is, honestly, it's the same for every book I write, which is that they feel less alone,” said Kelly. “That's always my goal with every book I write.”

The lesson at the core of the newest Newbery winner is to try to live in the moment.

“A big message of the book is to embrace the present moment, which is something that I and many people have trouble doing,” she said. “Michael spends a lot of time worrying about the future. Sometimes you have to embrace the first thing of being, which is the present.”

Michael’s anxiety is around Y2K, but Kelly knows that young people today are dealing with their own anxieties.

“I hope they feel seen and cared for and like they have a friend, even if it lasts only for the length of the book,” she said.

As soon as her name was announced during Youth Media Awards ceremony, her thrilled kid lit peers took to social media to congratulate her.

"OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! @erinentrada.bsky.social!!!!!! I'm sooooo happy for Erin! I love this book with my entire heart!" John Schu wrote on BlueSky.

Samira Ahmed wrote, “The scream of joy I let out when I heard the name erinentrada.bsky.social!!!!! Congratulations!!!!! #ALAYMA”

Kelly received the call from the committee on Sunday night and told her husband, who was sitting next to her when the phone rang. She invited a friend over to watch the ceremony Monday morning, without revealing why. Then she went to sleep. But this morning, for a moment, she wondered if it was all real.

“I woke up and asked my husband if I really won the Newbery a second time,” she said. 

"I'm in a state of shock and awe."