WHEN YOU REACH ME

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. 2009. New York: Wendy Lamb Books. ISBN 0375850864

2. PLOT SUMMARY

When You Reach Me is a story about a girl in the 6^th grade named Miranda, growing up in New York in 1978 when some mysterious things begin to happen.  First, her best friend Sal gets punched in the stomach by a boy who does not even know Sal.  Sal starts ignoring Miranda for no good reason, so she has to find new friends, including the boy who punched Sal.  Miranda starts finding anonymously written notes with strange messages about the future hidden in places only she would find them, and her house key mysteriously disappears from its secret hiding place.  The notes indicate that unless Miranda takes action and figures out how to solve the riddle, a life may be lost, the future forever changed.   

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Miranda is a very likable character, who narrates the story in her own unique voice, creating a distinct structure for the style of the book. Her language is consistent with that of an 11 year old girl who does not have everything figured out in life, yet who has a unique perspective to which the reader can relate.  The 1978 New York setting seems accurately described and plays an important role in the plot.  The “crazy” homeless man who lives by the mailbox of Miranda’s apartment complex is accepted in the beginning, simply based on the setting of the story.  Later, he becomes of greater importance to the plot, and some stereotypes fall away with the knowledge of his back story.  When the strange things begin to happen to Miranda, the skepticism she feels about them is mirrored in the reader’s mind and serves as a tie to the real world, where things like time travel seem impossible.  For those who have read A Wrinkle in Time, clues to what may be happening will be scattered throughout the story as Miranda describes pieces of her favorite book.  This foreshadowing in the plot is creative, engaging, and full of intrigue.  Though it is clearly fantasy, it is grounded in reality, too, so that the impossible events seem plausible.

The themes of the book include time travel, of course, but also relationships, redemption, and independence.  The book is clearly targeted for younger audiences, but there will be great satisfaction for older audiences reading it, too.  Miranda learns some valuable lessons about who she is and how she views the world and left me thinking about who I am and how I view the world.

 “Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way. But sometimes our veils are pushed away for a few moments, like there's a wind blowing it from our faces. And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love. But mostly we are happy not to. Some people learn to lift the veil themselves. Then they don't have to depend on the wind anymore.” 

When You Reach Me is a terrific read for people of all ages. 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

"An exhilarating experience."
--Kirkus Reviews

"This imaginative book will be read for a long time into the future."
--Children's Literature

5. CONNECTIONS

If students have not yet read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, now would be the perfect time!