WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead

Book Design by Kate Gartner

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2009.  ISBN 9780385737425


Miranda is in the sixth grade and lives in New York City, 1979, in the same apartment building as her best friend Sal.  She is a "latch key kid" and is infatuated with the novel A Wrinkle in Time.  Sal and Miranda know the safe places in their neighborhood and they know who to avoid, such as the "laughing guy" who sleeps under a garbage can near their apartment building.  Then, one day, Miranda's life is turned around.  The extra key to her apartment comes up missing, Sal gets punched and decides they shouldn't be friends, and then Miranda receives mysterious letters.

"I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own."

Miranda realizes that whoever is leaving these notes knows details about her, but also things that have not happened yet.  She must find new friends and solve the mystery of the letters and find a way to stop the tragedy that is predicted.

When You Reach Me is a fantasy set in a realistic setting, or low fantasy.  The main character, Miranda, is realistic and much like a normal sixth grader.  Miranda is a strong character and the reader will relate to her immediately.  Miranda is also the narrator of the story, so the reader is able to hear her thoughts and point of view.  The plot is originally grounded in reality, then later moves into a  fantasy.  Everything is tied together and explained by the end of the book, so the reader is satisfied and any open questions are answered.  The reader will be intrigued with the adventures of Miranda and her friends through New York in the late 70s and they learn the importance of friendship and love.  While friendship is the major theme, the reader will also see topics, such as homelessness, single parenting, and jail discussed throughout the book.  Even though the story is told from Miranda's point of view, the author creates a distinct voice of each character through the story and makes the fantasy world believable to the reader.

AudioBook

An audio book is also available for When You Reach Me, narrated by Cynthia Holloway.  The reading is very strong and shows the emotions of Miranda throughout her journeys.  Holloway provides an excellent reading so that the listener is presented with Miranda's feelings and actions as she solves her mystery of the letters.

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. narrated by Cynthia Holloway.  Listening Library, 2009.  Overdrive MP3 Audiobook Unabridged Edition  ISBN 9780739380758

Awards for When You Reach Me

2010 John Newberry Medal

2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction

A New York Times Bestseller

Reviews for When You Reach Me

"This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers."         ~ School Library Journal

"[T]he characters, children, and adults, are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest." ~ Booklist

"Smart and mesmerizing." ~ New York Times 

Classroom Connections

With the number of strong characters in the book, teachers can have students choose a character (Miranda, Sal, Colin, Annemarie, Julia, Jimmy, the laughing man, Miranda's mom, or Richard) and create a character map with adjectives describing the character.  Then students can partner with someone that created a character map on another character to compare/contrast the characters. With their partner, have students create a Venn Diagram.

There are a number of themes relevant to this book which can be discussed in class.

• Family - compare the different family types in the book.
• Friendship - discuss the change of Sal and Miranda's friendship.
• Bullying - students can list characteristic of a bully and name the bullies present in the book.
• Social Class - discuss how social class is portrayed in the different families in the book.  What do the girls, Miranda, Julia, and Annemarie, learn about social class by the end of the book.
• Fear - discuss how Sal deals with fear after being punched by Marcus.  Miranda's mom is also afraid for Miranda on occasion.  Why?

The novel, A Wrinkle in Time, is mentioned throughout the book and is Miranda's favorite book.  Pick up a copy of A Wrinkle in Time to read with your students.  Then students can compare/contrast Miranda with Meg (from A Wrinkle in Time).  Students can also stage a meeting with Miranda and Meg.  What would their conversation be like?

L'Engle, Madeleine.  A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Dell Publising, 1976.  ISBN 9780440498056