In this story, letters time-travel back and forth from 2023 to 1987. One of the main characters, Mason, has just had his life turned upside down when his dad leaves them and realizes that his mom is a closet alcoholic. Because his dad, who was his baseball coach, left, Mason quits the team and ends up getting bullied by one of his former teammates and current classmates. As a part of his therapy, Mason is expected to write in a journal, so he decides to write to Albert Einstein. His writing gets sent back to 1987 to a girl named Talia. Talia is also in middle school, and is dealing with issues of her own. She too is getting bullied, but it is about her being Jewish. This was a fun, quick read, appropriate for upper elementary and middle school ages. My rating: 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

I was surprised how fast this book pulled me in. I liked the time travel concept, and I enjoyed both characters' storylines, particularly the Jewish representation. The letters sometimes read like a regular story, not like two middle schoolers writing letters, and the ending left me wanting the rest of the story--which is a good thing.
Overall, this is a great read for grades 4-7 as it covers things they may be experiencing: bullying, fitting in, trying something new, family dynamics, and antisemitism.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy. My thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication date. When I saw in the synopsis that this was perfect for fans of When You Reach Me, I knew I had to get my hands on this book!

Like most epistolary books, this was fast paced. I won't go into all the details, but through a wormloop, 12 year old Mason from 2023 ends up being pen pals with 12 year old Talia from 1987. They soon discover that they are exchanging letters 36 years apart, and the two of them develop a friendship.

The concept was very similar to the Sandra Bullock / Keanu Reeves movie The Lake House. And their friendship happened at the moment when both of them needed it the most. In 2023, Mason is dealing with family issues, therapy, and being bullied at school. In 1987, Talia is experiencing antisemitism, sexism, and losing her best friend.

Both Mason and Talia feel friendless, which is why it's a beautiful thing for their friendship to develop over letters. I won't spoil anything except to say that the ending was satisfying too!

Recommended for ages 9+.

What a delightful middle grade title. I will be recommending to my media specialists that they definitely add to their collections! This hopeful title will appeal to middle grade readers.

This novel is a gem that I read in one sitting! I loved how Mason and Talia's humorous and heartfelt letters tackled tough topics like bullying, antisemitism, addiction, and friendship in a way that felt authentic and relatable. The letter format was engaging and made the story pass quickly, but you do have to suspend disbelief about two twelve-year-olds writing in perfect narrative grammar and dialogue. The characters were well-developed and their interactions in recounting what happened with them each day was both touching and hopeful. The final letter had me wishing for more, and selfishly I'm glad Talia did what she did in the end - I would have, too!

The concept of this book, middle school students going through hard times, thirty-six years apart, find one another and become friends by writing letters transported through a wormhole, makes for a good, relatable read for 5th grade and up.
Standing up to bullies, antisemitism, and a son’s concern about his mother’s drinking are topics all taken on with great care.
The author’s chosen cultural references were not my favorite, but I think this would be an engaging book for many of my students.
3 1/2⭐️

A cute middle grade novel! It took a while for the plot to pick up (the first 15-ish percent is just the two characters bickering over what timeline they are in), but once it got going, it was solid. I like the way that modern ideals took on 1980s antisemitism and how old-school techniques took on 2020s bullying. Both narrators were well-written, and it could bring up good discussions on comparing and contrasting different times.

This story is told exclusively through letters between the two characters, though it would have been nice to see the characters outside of the letters, perhaps in more of a narrative style.

I would probably rate this as a 3.5, but I tend to be positive in my reviews, so I am rounding up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I am an assistant librarian at an elementary school, so I am reading with those students in mind.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free Arc!

When I initially read the description of the book, I immediately thought of the movie The Lake House with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeve who communicate with each other through letters in the same mailbox but two years apart. I found that idea to be intriguting. So I was eager to read Right Back at You, where two characters write letters to each other but are 36 years apart in 1987 and 2023.

Talia, who lives in 1987, and Mason, who lives in 2023, connect with each other by writing letters that they leave to each other in their closets. They talk about their lives in Western Pennsylvania (for Talia) and New York City (for Mason). The similarities and differences between the spring of their seventh grade years unfold through the topics of bullying antisemitism, family, and friendship.

While I really enjoyed the well-developed characters and the Jewish representation, the format felt a bit strange at times. While it was cool to read their letters back and forth, that format did not always fit with the descriptive narrative style that was used once they started telling particular stories. It might have made more sense to interweave their letters throughout a more narrative style prose.

I would recommend this book for middle schoolers to read. Jewish students will appreciate the representation and students who are not can definitely learn valuable lessons about antisemitism and the Holocaust.

I thoroughly enjoyed Right Back at You. Both of our protagonists are well written characters with depth and character development throughout the story. I would technically give this 4.8 stars if I could due to me wanting more of an explanation of how some things in the book were possible. Other than my own rampant curiosity I loved this book. Jewish representation in media is so important to me and not something I saw or experienced very often growing up. The final letter was excellent but I still found myself wanting more, as I had grown attached to these characters, despite the loose ends.

This book covers some tough topics in a funny relatable and respectful way. Friendships can be hard to navigate and this gives kids good perspectives .