“Tomorrow begins today,” reads the front cover of The First State of Being. At the beginning of the book, 12-year-old Michael Rosario meets Ridge Sabio, a time-traveling 16-year-old boy from the future. Erin Entrada Kelly wrote the story, which is set in the year 1999. On January 27, Kelly won the 2025 Newbery Medal for the . And it’s the second time she’s won!
The Newbery Medal is an important honor. Created in 1921, it was the first children’s book award in the world! Each year, the American Library Association gives it to the top pick in American literature for children. In 2018, Kelly earned the award for her book about unlikely friends, Hello, Universe. Now she has won the 2025 prize as well. Only six other authors have ever done that before!
“I’m still in that I won the first time,” Kelly told News-O-Matic. “So, it will probably take me a while to process this one.”
Erin Entrada Kelly is half-Filipino and grew up in the small town of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Now she lives in Middletown, Delaware. And she said the experiences in her life have helped shape her stories. “Each book draws on my culture and background in different ways,” she explained. “I’m sure that’s true of all writers.”
“Sometimes I pull from my cultural background — being Filipino, , growing up in the South,” Kelly explained. “Sometimes I pull from my experiences as a child who was bullied, who performed poorly in school, who was desperate to leave her hometown,” she added. “Often it’s a mix of all of that.” You can see those connections to Kelly in The First State of Being. For example, Michael Rosario is half-Filipino. And the entire story takes place in Delaware.
During The First State of Being, Michael and his 16-year-old babysitter, named Gibby, show Ridge around the Fox Run Apartments where they live. They even show him the dumpster — because Ridge is curious where people put their trash. Ridge also asks Michael and Gibby to show him what everyday life was like in 1999, including the mall!
Michael worries about the future and prepares for Y2K, the moment when computers would change to zeroes on January 1, 2000. But Ridge — who already knows what will happen — encourages Michael to enjoy his present moment, or first state of being.
“The truth is, we’re making history at this very moment,” Ridge explained. “Every breath we take, we’re contributing to history,” he continues.
Erin Entrada Kelly has now written more than 10 books — all for young readers. The stories often explore themes of friendship, family, and personal growth. And the author explained where she gets her ideas from.
“ is everywhere, all the time, as long as you’re open to it,” said Kelly. “I find inspiration from friends, neighbors, other books, songs, movies, the tree outside my window — you name it.” And the two-time award-winning author shared some simple advice for anyone interested in writing.
“Read. Read a lot. And write. Write a lot.”
By Diana Richard
Updated January 29, 2025, 5:00 P.M. (ET)
