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Parents' Guide to

You Go First

By Amanda Nojadera, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Sweet, hopeful tale of friendship, family, and perseverance.

Book Erin Entrada Kelly Coming of Age 2018
You Go First Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

LibraryAssistant
LibraryAssistant Adult
July 23, 2019
age 10+

Internal lives of tweens

I wouldn’t recommend this to teachers as a read aloud. It is not attention grabbing. I read the book every now and then and I kept forgetting Ben’s storyline. For anyone who’s going/gone through bullying in the middle school years, it does ring true. Touches on losing early childhood friends and being ostracized. Also dealing with divorce and family illness. Both protagonists are probably gifted. The eleven year old talks like a professor. A very good novel to read when you don’t feel you fit in at school.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

YOU GO FIRST tells the story of 12-year-old Charlotte Lockard from Pennsylvania and 11-year-old Ben Boxer from Louisiana. Charlotte can't bear to visit her dad in the hospital and doesn't know what to do about her best friend leaving her for the "cool kids." Ben doesn't understand why his parents are divorcing or why he's having trouble fitting in at his new school. Thanks to an online game of Scrabble, the kids unknowingly help each other deal with their problems and eventually realize that friendships can form in unlikely places.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

This is a sweet and hopeful tale of friendship, family, and perseverance. Author Erin Entrada Kelly creates relatable characters whose unique, memorable connection and heartfelt conversations perfectly capture the awkward, at times humiliating, aspects of middle school. Packed with tons of advice and an important life lesson from Robert Frost, You Go First shows kids that everything will be OK. Readers will root for Charlotte and Ben as they learn to step outside their comfort zone and understand that it only takes one person to make you feel like you belong.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how You Go First deals with bullying. How does this issue affect the characters, especially Charlotte and Ben?

  • Ben thinks that his generation relies too much on digital communication. Do you agree?

  • Charlotte and Ben are online friends who eventually start talking to each other on the phone even though they've never met IRL. Be sure to talk to kids about privacy, internet safety, and social media rules.

  • Do you ever feel different or left out? When? Do you think others in your class or school feel that way? What can you do to help them feel included? How have new friends come into your life? How have you helped build new friendships?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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