When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stead, Rebecca. 2009. When You Reach Me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 0385737424

PLOT/SUMMARY

Miranda’s life is a challenging one, as she navigates the tricky waters of friendship at school, helps her mother prepare for her appearance on a popular game show, and wonders why her friendship with Sal went south. To add to the confusion she begins receiving notes that are cryptic, frightening, and intriguing all at the same time. Throwing in the concept of time travel connects all of these events as Miranda works to figure out who it is that is coming to reach her.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is such an interesting novel in that it combines a couple of different genres at once. There is the science fiction aspect, as there is a time travel connection. It can certainly be considered realistic fiction in every other way but for the time travel. There is also the ongoing mystery of the notes that young Miranda receives. The author creates an authentic representation of what it might have been like for a 12 year old girl growing up in 1970’s New York. The characters, and their interactions, feel very “real” to the reader, and might even cause the reader to reflect on their own experience growing up. Miranda is a smart girl just going about life, trying to figure out who her friends are, why Sal won’t talk to her anymore, and why Marcus would hit Sal like he did. The author pays homage to A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, and we find Miranda discussing her favorite novel with Marcus and theorizing on the finer workings of time travel. This proves to be critical to the plot later in the story as the author toys with the constructs of time. When Miranda begins to receive mysterious notes and “proofs” she toils to put the meanings together. With cryptic clues such as “I’m coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. First you must write me a letter.” the author requires Miranda to use her intuitiveness powers of observance to figure out how everything fits together. With her easy style of prose, the author has created a novel that will keep the reader guessing the whole way through, only to finish feeling invigorated and wanting to read it again with a new understanding.

REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS

John Newbery Medal, 2010 Winner United States

Amazon Editors' Picks: Top 10 Books, 2009 ; United States
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2010 ; Bank Street College of Eduation; United States
Booklist Editors’ Choice: Books for Youth, 2009 ; American Library Association; United States
Booklist Top 10 Crime Fiction for Youth, 2010 ; American Library Association; United States
Choices, 2010 ; Cooperative Children's Book Center; United States
Horn Book Fanfare, 2009 ; United States
Kids Reading List, 2010 ; Oprah/ALSC; United States
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2009 ; United States
New York Times Notable Children's Books , 2009 ; United States
Notable Children's Books, 2010 ; ALSC American Library Association; United States
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts, 2010 ; NCTE Children’s Literature Assembly; United States
NPR Best Young Adult Fiction, 2009 ; United States
Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 2009 ; United States
School Library Journal Best Books, 2009 ; United States
YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2010 ; American Library Association; United States
YALSA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, 2010 ; American Library Association; United States

Andre Norton Award, 2009 Finalist United States
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2010 Winner Fiction and Poetry United States
Golden Duck Award for Excellence in Children's Science Fiction Literature, 2010 Finalist Eleanor Cameron Award for Middle Grades United States
Great Lakes Great Books Award, 2010-2011 Honor Book Grades 6-8 Michigan
Indies Choice Book Award, 2010 Winner Middle Reader United States
IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award, 2010 Winner Young Adult-Fiction International
National Parenting Publications Award, 2009 Gold Books for Ages 9 & Up United States
Parents' Choice Award, 2009 Gold Fiction United States

Starred Review in Booklist…”The ’70s New York setting is an honest reverberation of the era; the mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children and adults, are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest. Just as Miranda rereads L’Engle, children will return to this.”

Starred Review in Children’s Literature…”The movement between the ordinary and the fantastic creates a kind of magical realism, in which the extraordinary is every bit as acceptable as the everyday. Amusing, bemusing and occasionally plain puzzling, this book works its way to a deliciously twisty ending. It is an interesting, multi-layered book that can be read and interpreted at many levels.”

Starred Review in The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books…”The prose is streamlined and easygoing, while Miranda’s New York life is richly peopled and authentically urban; touches of quirky humor add energy to a subtly constructed story of individual growth. Offer this to kids who appreciate daily-life stories that reveal the unexpected.”

CONNECTIONS

*Students should read A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle (ISBN 0440498058) since it figured so prominently in this novel. Compare some of the concepts in the books and how the author uses them in their text.

*As the students are reading the novel they will notice the chapters are titled in a certain way, mimicking the categories from The $20,000 Pyramid. Have them write down the titles of these chapters and, next to it, write down why they think the author named the chapter in this way.

*Have the kids develop their own version of The $20,000 Pyramid, including the different rounds and bonus rounds. Make the categories and clues have something to do with the main events and details of the story.

*Students can create their own puzzle. Taking a blank sheet of paper, they can write out or draw the various events and details of the story and how they are all connected. Once they have done this they can cut the paper into puzzle shaped pieces and exchange with another student.