Oh, I absolutely loved this book! I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy when it comes out in May.

Spelling It Out follows seventh-grader Ben Bellini as he trains for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The events of the story take place in 1985, but the book is narrated by an adult Ben looking back on that summer he spent with his grandmother.

While I wasn’t expecting this to be historical fiction, that aspect really only made it better. I appreciated that the author didn’t go overboard with the 80s nostalgia. The few pop culture references were relevant to preteen boys of the decade, from Star Wars to Metallica to Back to the Future.

Ben is a likable and realistic protagonist with a great sense of humor. He's the middle child in his Italian American family, with an older sister named Erin and a younger brother, Mark. He’s a little self-conscious about having a “nerdy” hobby like spelling, but he also knows the only thing that matters is that he enjoys it. When his grandmother learns of his recent spelling bee success, she invites him to stay with her in San Francisco and train with a professional coach.

He has a wonderful relationship with his Nan, a famous architect and feminist trailblazer who still designs buildings despite being retired. She offers an important historical perspective as a woman in a male-dominated field, a perspective that Ben values deeply. Nan likes to reminisce on the 1960s, when San Francisco was a symbol of social activism and revolution.

While his mother has certain rules for him in the city, "scattered" Nan usually leaves Ben to his own devices. His coach is Roger Nott, a bitter and mercurial bookstore owner and ex-spelling bee winner. Despite Roger's attempts to break him down, Ben decides he must work even harder. He visits the library and meets a girl his age named Asha Krishnakumar.

Although Roger is supposed to be the one training Ben, it’s Asha who helps Ben find his confidence. Her true passion is basketball, but she recently became inspired by Balu Natarajan, the first Indian American winner of the National Spelling Bee. The future competitors become fast friends, and Ben is thrilled to finally have met someone who’s like him.

But things aren't going so well with Nan. Ben starts to have interactions with her that make him feel uneasy. She's beginning to experience bouts of forgetfulness, even forgetting why Ben came to stay with her. At first, Ben denies that anything is wrong. After all, Nan 's long-term memory is unaffected, and she's still active and full of life at seventy-six.

Eventually though, Ben is forced to accept the painful reality. His Nan is suffering from Alzheimer's and needs more help than he can give her. Fortunately, both Nan and Ben have a wonderful support system behind them as they navigate this difficult situation. The story’s bittersweet ending is more sweet than bitter, made even more satisfying by adult Ben’s thoughtful narration. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! I can’t wait to own a copy of Spelling It Out.