Module 3/SLIS 5420/June 21-27
Bibliography
Stead, Rebecca. (2009). When You Reach Me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books
ISBN: 978-0-385-73742-5
Summary
Miranda and Sal used to be best friends - until a strange boy, on the New York City sidewalks, punches him on the way home from school. After that, Miranda's life won't be the same. New friends, new feelings, a wacky but insightful mom and a great cast of characters all help Miranda through some stick adolescent adventures. Once Miranda starts receiving cryptic notes from the future - anything is possible!
My Impressions
Stead tells Miranda's story in the perfect voice for the tween crowd. Even though the story is set in 1979, it's apparent that the foibles of late elementary/ early middle school are universal. Although I was hoping for more time travel, I am now settling into the idea that the book balanced fantasy and reality quite well. A quick read, and definitely a book that will stand the test of time for tweens in the future.
Reviews
School Library Journal - Starred Review. Grade 5-8–"Sixth-grader Miranda lives in 1978 New York City with her mother, and her life compass is Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. When she receives a series of enigmatic notes that claim to want to save her life, she comes to believe that they are from someone who knows the future. Miranda spends considerable time observing a raving vagrant who her mother calls the laughing man and trying to find the connection between the notes and her everyday life. Discerning readers will realize the ties between Miranda's mystery and L'Engle's plot, but will enjoy hints of fantasy and descriptions of middle school dynamics. Stead's novel is as much about character as story. Miranda's voice rings true with its faltering attempts at maturity and observation. The story builds slowly, emerging naturally from a sturdy premise. As Miranda reminisces, the time sequencing is somewhat challenging, but in an intriguing way. The setting is consistently strong. The stores and even the streets–in Miranda's neighborhood act as physical entities and impact the plot in tangible ways. This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers." –Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT
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Publishers Weekly - "Twelve-year-old Miranda, a latchkey kid whose single mother is a law school dropout, narrates this complex novel, a work of science fiction grounded in the nitty-gritty of Manhattan life in the late 1970s. Miranda's story is set in motion by the appearance of cryptic notes that suggest that someone is watching her and that they know things about her life that have not yet happened. She's especially freaked out by one that reads: 'I'm coming to save your friend's life, and my own.' Over the course of her sixth-grade year, Miranda details three distinct plot threads: her mother's upcoming appearance on The $20,000 Pyramid; the sudden rupture of Miranda's lifelong friendship with neighbor Sal; and the unsettling appearance of a deranged homeless person dubbed 'the laughing man.' Eventually and improbably, these strands converge to form a thought-provoking whole. Stead (First Light) accomplishes this by making every detail count, including Miranda's name, her hobby of knot tying and her favorite book, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. It's easy to imagine readers studying Miranda's story as many times as she's read L'Engle's, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises. Ages 9 — 14. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Awards
2010 John Newbery Medal
Suggested Library Use
Excellent book for middle school-ers. I think pairing this book as a suggested read with A Wrinkle in Time would be perfect for a summer reading book discussion.
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