The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett

Dear Reader,
If you are reading this, then chances are that 

our world has ended.

"My name is Kemi Carter, and I'm a scientist .... My favorite type of science is the science of probability. Probability is pretty great because it tells you how likely something is to happen or not happen. It is a way of predicting the world."

BREAKING NEWS: MASSIC ASTERIOD ALTERS PATH, NOW ON COURSE TO MEET EARTH! NASA RELEASES STATMENT: DO NOT PANIC! PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN THIRTY MINUTES!

"How long did we have until the end of the world?"

Kemi knows the world is about to end. This is huge and impossible to process so she decides to collect a box of treasures so that the people who come next have some idea about her life and the lives of various members of her family. 

Begin here with this video by Colby Sharp - "this book is blowing everyone's mind" ... "this is the best book to read when you know nothing about it!" ...  "You are in for the ride of your life."

Colby also says do not read the back cover (blurb) - luckily I was not able to do this because I read the ebook of The Probability of Everything.

Now listen (just play it without the image) to this video where the reviewer explains it is best to come to this book knowing nothing about the plot. This review is 9 minutes and at the end the librarian says she would like one million dollars so she could buy this book for everyone - surely that makes you curious about this story.

This book will shock and shake you - it is utterly fabulous but any more plot points will spoil it. I will however list a few text quotes:

"A sudden chill entered the room. It was Narnia cold, the kind of cold that makes your bones ache, and I shivered. The front door creaked like it had been left open, and I wondered if that was the reason for the cold."

"Amplus ... has a 84.7 percent chance of hitting us."

"When Mrs Wallace had taught us about asteroids, I hadn't really considered the possibility of one colliding with us. It was kind of the way I hadn't paid too much attention to our lesson on Tasmanian devils because I knew they were only in Australia."

"Would Baby Z be born before the asteroid hit? Mom was only five months pregnant, which meant the world would have to last another four months at least, if we were ever going to meet the baby. We didn't even know if we had four hours."

"... the end of the world might sound like a whoosh, like a thunderclap, or like a peaceful silence."

"Four days meant less than a full week of school. It meant we would never meet Baby Z, that I would never have two sisters instead of one. It meant the world would end on a Thursday."

"There has to be a way to make sure they don't forget all about us."

"I'm make a time capsule ... If I save all the most important stuff, the things we love the most, then nobody has to feel so sad about the end of the world. ... If I saved one thing that was precious to each member of my family, then something that was part of them - something that they loved - would always be here. It wouldn't be destroyed by the asteroid, and the next earthlings could find it and know about us."

What are some things to put in a time capsule:

• Photographs
• Newspaper clippings
• Favourite books (Kemi likes The One and Only Ivan; Charlotte's web and Where the wild things are).
• List of movies or tv shows you love
• A mobile phone
• Food (that won't spoil) 
• Clothes
• A map of your town showing all your favorite places
• Letters between you and your loved ones

ONLY after you have read this book (yes you do need to read it) you might look at a few reviews such as this one from Kirkus (star review). 

Awards:

• NPR Books We Love 2023 
• Publishers Weekly Best of 2023 
• Winner of the Governor General's Literary Awards for Young People's Literature

This review by Betsy (my blogging/reviewing hero) contains spoilers - WAIT - read the book first please!

And while I’m generally a pretty slow reader, I devoured this baby immediately. How could I not? Sarah Everett wrestles with an outsized and ambitious bit of plotting, all the while keeping her cards close to her chest. Here’s some advice: Hand this to kids that like their books with a bit of a twist. And do NOT skip to the ending and read that first. You will live to regret it if you do. Betsy Bird

Companion book:

Wishtree

Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

Tola lives with her older sister Moji and her younger brother Dapo and their hardworking Grandmummy in Lagos, Nigeria. Daily life is a struggle for this small family but there is love and laughter in their simple home. One of the daily tasks, which the children are expected to complete while Grandmummy is away selling groundnuts by the side of the road, is sorting the rice and removing stones.  This will seem an incredible task to a young reader in affluent Australia. I had no idea cheap rice was sold with stones.

"The family can only buy cheap sacks of rice. Cheap sacks of rice have many small stones in them, stones that must be picked out."

Tola settles into this task but her brother and sister are distracted. Dapo wants to practice with his ball and Moji wants to study on her computer. Tola is unhappy but she is also determined to help her Grandmummy and she knows it is essential to sort the rice. Then there is a disaster. A pair of precious earrings are knocked on the floor.  One is found but it seems as though the other is lost. How can Tola wisely save the day?

In the second story Grandmummy becomes very seriously ill. She has put some money aside for emergencies. The money must now all be spent on medicine and it is up to the three children to work out how to earn money for food because it seems Grandmummy will be ill for some weeks. Moji cannot miss her school work so she cannot help. Dapo should help but he seems more interested in the mechanics who are working near the roadway so it is once again up to Tola to sell the groundnuts. Dapo is annoying but by the end of this chapter you will cheer that he has found a much better way to help his family.

In the third and final story, Tola would love to go to the masquerade parade but Grandmummy explains she cannot go alone. Tola also sees some girls who look very fine. They have more money than Tolo's family. She sees three girls and you can read about them here:

"A girl walking towards her. A girl wearing a pink skirt and a T-shirt embroidered with a silver heart."

"A girl, Tola's age comes out of the shop. She is wearing a pair of jeans ... (that fit) her all the way up and way down and they have no stains at all. ... Her jeans are cool. Her denim jacket is cool. Her hair that falls down her back like a black waterfall looks freshly washed and cool, cool cool!"

"She is staring at (another) girl wearing a traditional buba and blouse in matching bright-red cloth with white aeroplanes printed on it."

Tola longs for new clothes, better hair, and most of all to attend the Masquerade. Grandmummy is so wise. She knows Tola is a very special girl and so she finds a way to make this dream come true.

This is the second collection of stories built round Tola and her family in Lagos; it is a delight. Atinuke is a storyteller herself and these are stories that demand to be read aloud. They are just the right length, full of atmosphere, built round situations that arise out of Tola’s everyday. Books for Keeps

Once again, Atinuke has provided both a window and a mirror for children to immerse themselves in when adventuring with Tola in a different culture, and for children from urban Nigeria to see their homes and communities reflected in a book. Miss Clevelands Reading

As you read this is the second book in the Too Small Tola series. I highly recommended the first book and I am going to say the same thing about the second which is equally good. This is a book series which should be added to all Primary school collections. You can see the art from this book on Onyinye Iwu's web page.

Too Small Tola by Atinuke

Atinuke has crafted another gem. A small story about a small girl set in a city and country possibly very unfamiliar to most readers. A small story with a HUGE heart. 

"Tola lives in a run-down block of flats in the megacity of Lagos, in the country of Nigeria. She lives with her sister Moji, who is very clever; her brother Dapo, who is very fast and Grandmummy who is very-very bossy."

"Sometimes the electricity words. And sometimes it does not. Sometimes the water runs. And sometimes it does not. Once the lift worked. And now it definitely does not."

There are three short stories in Too Small Tola. All of them would make a terrific class read aloud for a Grade One or Grade Two class but I especially love the final story where little Tola takes on a big responsibility.  Easter is coming and it is nearly the end of Ramadan. People are preparing for the festival of Eid which this year coincides with Easter. Tola and her neighbours do not have much money but they always have new clothes made to wear for Easter Sunday. Tola may be small but she loves maths and she loves numbers and she is skilled with measuring. Mr Abdul, the local tailor, has a bad bicycle accident. Tola, with help from her brother Dapo, take over riding around the city collecting orders and taking those all important measurements. Mr Abdul is a wonderful man. He knows just how to make every one feel terrific even Dapo who is at first very reluctant to help. 

Too Small Tola is the first book in a planned series.  

The setting for Too Small Tola is Nigeria. Kids Book A Day blogger Janet Dawson talked about this book today and she made the comment:

 I was really hoping for a bit of backmatter on Lagos and Nigeria–at least a map.

So I found some maps:

Too Small Tola is a wonderfully warm read. Warm, heartfelt and super lovely. What a brilliant start to a brand new series! My Book Corner

this is a smashing chapter book for newly confident readers. Red Reading Hub

Through the young girl’s experiences, children will learn about life in Lagos, from the bumper-to-bumper traffic on hot, dusty roads to the stark contrast between rich and poor. Readers will also identify with Tola’s universal concerns, such as sibling tensions and facing up to bullies. Book Trust

Can I suggest you visit your school library today to look for other books by Atinuke. These are books that should be part of every primary school library and they should be shared widely.