When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Yearling Newbery, 2009. 197 pages.

Plot: Miranda is a feisty 6th grader living in New York City in the late 1970’s.  Life is going along at its predictable pace but not for long.  Strange events begin occurring when Miranda receives a mysterious note and a portion of it reads “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.” As more notes arrive, showing up in the oddest of places, the note-writer shares clues that seem to indicate he/she has information that is of a predicting nature…as if, somehow, the future is involved in the present.  Added to the mix is the fact that Miranda’s best friend Sal is no longer speaking to her and she must find her way through the sometimes confusing roads of friendship.  Along with Sal, Miranda’s world is filled with other interesting characters:  the laughing man, Marcus, Julia, Annemarie, Colin, Richard, Jimmy, and Miranda’s headstrong mom.  Miranda is a young girl in the middle of a great mystery and time is of the essence. Will Miranda and Sal become friends again?  Will Miranda’s mom be a winning contestant on the $20,000 Pyramid? Will the mystery be figured out?  

Review/Personal thoughts:  In the page preceding the first chapter of the book, there is a quote by Albert Einstein that reads “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.”  The reader is immediately thrown into Miranda’s mysterious journey as she tries to figure out the events that are happening around her and piece together the notes that are meant for her…and her alone. Alongside the mystery, Stead also has our protagonist navigating the emotional roads of friendship – the loss (yet regaining) of a friendship, the attempt to build new ones, the misperceptions we may have of others and the assumptions some may make of us.  It is also a novel that explores the power of connection, the relationships we make in our lives.  It’s about the willingness to have an open mind, the desire to see life in as many ways as possible…and to see that anything is possible if we take away the constraints of the mind and time.  This novel is a fast-paced read that will draw the “tween” reader in from the first page. The beauty of this novel is most certainly found in its examination of the mystery of life. 

Genre: Mystery

Reading Level: 4.6  Interest level: Ages 9 to 13

Awards:  Newbery Award, 2010

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2010 Winner

IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award, 2010 Winner

National Parenting Publications Award, 2009 Gold Books for Ages 9 & Up

Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2009

Notable Children's Books, 2010; ALSC American Library Association

School Library Journal Best Books, 2009

YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 2010