The fourth edition of the Handbook of Model Rocketry by G. Harry Stine was an invaluable resource during the course of writing this novel; any scientific or engineering error is purely my own.
To National Novel Writing Month, for helping me write so many manuscripts over the years—including this one.
To #the21nders debut group, for the wonderful community and for being there during the highs and lows of this wild year.
Libraries and librarians make the world go round. To the Northbrook Public Library, for always having such an amazing collection of books. To Mrs. Cronin, for fostering my love of reading and writing and for keeping the school library full. Thank you. You are amazing.
To the writing community: you raised me, and I owe you one. To Cam and Michael, for rejoicing and commiserating with me over the writing process. To Melody, for always being in my corner from the very beginning. To Marisa and Rosanna, for the early feedback and encouragement. To Karuna, for taking me under your wing. To Grace, for the wonderful writing coffee chats. To Ch1Con for showing me the ropes. To Katie, Cindy, and Pablo, for your kind words and blurbs. To Tiffany, Lily, CW, and the bloggers who have taken in this book and given it so much love. And to Tashie, Joelle, Rona, Jake, Rocky, and Miranda, for not only supporting but enabling my chaos. I love you all.
Endless thanks also goes to those who cheered me on and offered me love and support in this process. To Katherine, for always talking books. To Cate, for always being in my corner no matter what. To Gaby, for cheering me on. To Eghosa, for believing in me. To Maeve, for supporting me from afar. To Lauren, for your encouraging and hilarious presence. To Rachel and Pranavi, for being the lights of my life. To Vida, for the serendipity. To Peter, for keeping me laughing. And to Jack, Jacob, Avery, Nik, Mihir, and Jeremiah: I am indebted to you all.
And last, to the infamous eighth grade Wood Oaks Science Fair crew—thanks for the timeless inside jokes, camaraderie, and October Sky reruns.
About the Author
Photo by Bryan Aldana
CHRISTINA LI is a student studying economics at Stanford University. When she is not puzzling over her stats problem set, she is daydreaming about characters and drinking too much jasmine green tea. She grew up in the Midwest but now calls California home. This is her debut novel. Find her online at www.christinaliwrites.com.
Praise for Clues to the Universe
“In this touching debut, Li masterfully weaves the tale of Ro and Benji, two friends bound by their love of a space comic that leads them on their own adventures in search of Benji’s missing father. Clues to the Universe shines with larger-than-life characters the power of science, and a friendship greater than any force in the universe. Heartwarming, imaginative, timeless!”
—KATIE ZHAO, author of The Dragon Warrior
“Clues to the Universe reminds us that we’re all made of stardust, and—regardless of how little we feel, and how many losses we face—that magic lurks in us, waiting to be tapped into. It is an achingly beautiful and thoughtfully written debut that will find its way into the heart of readers seeking heart, hope, and a sense of wonder as they navigate family, friendship, and the world around them.”
—KARUNA RIAZI, author of The Gauntlet
“With an engaging voice and perfectly lovable characters, Clues to the Universe is a heart-filling journey of hope, healing, and friendship.”
—CINDY BALDWIN, author of Where the Watermelons Grow and Beginners Welcome
“Christina Li’s Clues to the Universe is a triumphant story of friendship, loss, and the journey of finding your place in the world (and among the stars). A reminder that we sometimes have to travel great distances to find the secrets of what makes life beautiful. A remarkable debut!”
—PABLO CARTAYA, award-winning, bestselling author of The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
Copyright
Quill Tree Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
CLUES TO THE UNIVERSE. Copyright © 2021 by Christina Li. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Cover art © 2021 by JI-HYUK KIM
Cover design by CATHERINE SAN JUAN
* * *
Digital Edition JANUARY 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-300890-8
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-300888-5
* * *
20 21 22 23 24 PC/LSCH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower
22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4E3
www.harpercollins.ca
India
HarperCollins India
A 75, Sector 57
Noida
Uttar Pradesh 201 301
www.harpercollins.co.in
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com