Candace, the Universe, and Everything

Smith, Sherri L. Candace, the Universe, and Everything
September 9, 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

At Walden Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois, there are some odd things happening at locker 235, and have been for years. In 1908, Elizabeth Simpson sees birds flying through a "window in the sky" on the school's building site, and one of the workers, Ellis Monroe, promises to preserve her view. The two later marry, and eventually have a granddaughter, Loretta. We catch up with the school in the present day, when Candace Wells, an 8th grader, gets the same locker. When birds explode out of the locker, it seems odd, but odder still is the notebook that she finds from 1988. It belongs to Tracey Auburn, and Candace manages to hunt her down. Tracey is surprised, but the two bond, and Tracey tells Candace about her middle school experience, including strange happenings with the locker, and her love of the Skylark book series. When a note appears in the locker with an address, Tracey and Candace (after checking with Candace's parents!) go there and meet Loretta. She was a student at the school in 1948, and had the fabled locker. Her grandmother, Elizabeth, had told her stories about interdimensional magpies, and Loretta is the author of the book series that Tracey loved. She has been researching the sky windows, and as she is in her 90s, asks for help from the younger women. They start to track the sightings of the birds in hopes of finding a portal. This search takes them across the state of Illinois, and into some interesting places, some real, and some magical. 

Strengths: I love the idea of a multigenerational tale; this reminded me a bit of Stanton's 2017 Waking in Time, that I loved so much that I bought a copy for my daughter. Having unrelated girls who have the same lock connect over time was brilliant, and Smith even makes the math work. It's fun to think of Loretta writing the Skylark series that Tracey loved, and its truly heartwarming to see the bond that develops between the three. There's good use of historical places (I have some parks in Illinois that I clearly need to see!), and even some discussion of famous architects from the state. 
Weaknesses: Walden Elementary School doesn't seem to be a real place. Drat! I often have a hard time understanding fantasy worlds, so I was often confused about where the interdimensional magpies came from, and how the portals worked. Readers who are fond of the genre will have a better grasp on the plot, so it won't bother them. 
What I really think: The cover is fantastic (assuming that that's the Chicago skyline in the background), and a nice tribute to Smith's hometown. This a book that readers who like time travel adventures tied to specific places like Tash's The Queen of Ocean Parkway or Lerangis' Throwback, or Otheguy's Cousins in the  Time of Magic will definitely want to pick up.