What I Read: When You Reach Me

This one was my book club's pick for April. It was the 2010 Newbery winner, but I'm proud to say that I already had a copy on my "to read" pile before the big award.


When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead

Miranda, a twelve-year-old living with her single mom in New York City in 1979, receives a series of three mysterious notes, each written in the same handwriting on crumpled and folded squares of white paper. The first note says,

I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own.
I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.

Miranda is confused, worried, and, above all, curious.

The mystery that unfolds with the letters is not the entire story, though. Miranda must learn to make friends when her life-time friend and neighbor, Sal, suddenly stops talking to her. Miranda's mom is preparing for an appearance on the $20,000 Pyramid, and Miranda is reading and re-reading her new favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time.

When You Reach Me is a lot of things. It is a mystery. It is realistic fiction. It is historical fiction. It even has a science-fiction twist. The chapters were quick (sometimes as short as a page), so I was willing to keep reading even though many details sometimes felt isolated and unimportant. Things come together quickly in the final pages of the book in a way that made me want to re-read for clues I knew I missed.

I'm not entirely sure that kids (maybe fifth or sixth grade kids?) will enjoy this book; there isn't a specific kid I can't wait to tell about this book. The main character is wrapped up in A Wrinkle in Time. When You Reach Me might appeal to fans of L'Engle's novel, but the elements of science-fiction and fantasy in Stead's story are probably not intense or significant enough to entertain hard-core science-fiction readers. Because of length and pace, the book might appeal to reluctant readers. The complexity of the plot might make it difficult for that group, though, too.

Mostly, I'm just not quite sure I can clearly enough explain what the book is about well enough to convince others to read it without giving away the really interesting parts.

You'll just have to trust me. Read it. You might be confused, but I don't think you'll regret it.