Countdown to Yesterday

The tale's unhappy scenario is lightened by an ongoing cake-baking competition that climaxes in a massive, tension-releasing food fight while ably guiding James, and readers, toward the worthy closing insight: it's better to live in, and enjoy, the moment than to fixate on the past.

An exceptionally lovely and uplifting exploration of change, memories, and relationships.

Gr 3-7--When his parents separate, 11-year-old James's entire life turns upside down. He now has to swap between two homes and navigate shifting relationships with his parents, each of whom are trying to find themselves again after this major change. As his mother embraces mismatched color schemes and his father begins to rebuild a motorbike, James, now lonely at home as well as at school, meets Yan. The two budding scientists develop a friendship, and Yan agrees to use her time machine to send James back to one of his favorite memories. But James starts learning that memories aren't always trustworthy, and that it may be best to leave them in the past. Centered around the Summerlake Primary School Cake Competition, a significant fundraiser for James's school, this work explores different types of belonging, each linked by ideas of time and space. Six chapters interspaced between the main plot detail, the memories most important to James, offer readers a closer look at his complex family dynamic. The depths of emotion within the main characters, combined with a strong nostalgic feel, create a work that will stay with readers. VERDICT A moving story with a pleasing twist ending.--Maggie Mason Smith

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Channeling personal experiences of emigrating from China to Australia, Marr (All Four Quarters of the Moon) examines one 11-year-old's desire to turn back time in this thoughtful read. James Greenaway is sent adrift when his parents announce that they're getting a divorce. Within days, he's splitting time between his white-cued father's familiar house and his Chinese Australian mother's dilapidated new apartment. Worse, his parents are having him decide which parent he wants to spend his weekends with. At school, James befriends Yan Chen, a Chinese immigrant classmate who reads obsolete 40-year-old computer programming manuals for fun. When Yan says she invented a time machine, James scoffs. As he increasingly takes solace in memories of perfect days with his parents, however, he starts to believe that living in the past would be preferable to the present. But to do that, he'll need Yan's help. A subplot surrounding a school baking competition that relies on classic Australian cake constructions leads to laugh-out-loud antics and touching insights. Discussions of time travel lean more toward wistful fantasy than hard science, and the tweens' desire to bend time provides a framework through which James gains new perspectives on his own memories. Ages 8-12. Agent: Gemma Cooper, Bent Agency. (June)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Marr's ability to capture the essence of her characters and the complexities of their experiences shines, and with a twist that delivers an emotional impact that lingers long after the final page, this novel explores the depths of human emotions in a touching and thought-provoking way. Countdown to Yesterday is a timeless addition to the world of middle-grade fiction and is bound to leave a lasting impression on readers aged 9 and older, and those who enjoyed Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon." — Books+ Publishing

"The author deftly weaves multiple themes of family, friendship, nostalgia, and growth into a richly layered and thought-provoking tale that will linger in readers\' minds long after it\'s over. Cultural references (such as to an iconic Australian birthday cake cookbook), an original take on time travel, and perfectly imperfect characters just doing their best all create a vivid sense of place and will make this title resonate with children and adults alike. An exceptionally lovely and uplifting exploration of change, memories, and relationships." (Fiction. 8-12)—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED