When You Reach Me

Ever wonder if time travel is possible? Maybe not now but in the future? And if you had the chance to save a friend's life, would you come back and try?

Sixth grader Miranda and her best friend Sal seem to know everything about their New York City neighborhood. They are inseparable.

But one day that all changes. On the way home from school Sal is punched in the stomach by a kid for no reason at all. He rushes home and shuts Miranda out of his life.

Then the apartment key Miranda's mom keeps hidden is missing. Miranda finds a mystery note that tells her that someone is coming to save her friend's life. This mysterious person asks for her to write a letter.

More notes come, asking for more requests. Miranda doesn't know what to think. Then she gets a final note that makes her think she's too late.

When You Reach Me is a tale where fantasy, mystery, and science fiction are all mixed together to create one engaging story. It's also a coming of age story where Miranda struggles to find her place minus her friend. I enjoyed this story and wondered who in the future was writing those notes. Subtle hints are woven throughout and if you're not careful you might miss them.

I liked how Stead shows 1978 in such a way that it feels natural and not forced. Miranda is a likable character who struggles with Sal's turning his back on her to trying to make new friends. The whole what if scenario of time travel is interesting. Marcus is another character that isn't the cliche one dimensional misunderstand boy. Stead does a great job showing us how different people in one community are linked not only now but in the future. The science fiction part--time travel--doesn't bog down the story.

Sure to be a classic. I recommend When You Reach Me for both school and home libraries.

Its 1978 and this is the story of Miranda. Shes addicted to A Wrinkle in Time, maybe because she doesnt know her father. Shes entranced by the thought of time travel. Her mother got picked for the $20,000 Pyramid TV game show and Miranda and Richard, her moms boyfriend, are constantly helping her get ready. Rambunctious boys hang out at the local garage that shes got to pass on the way to and from school. Some kid she doesnt know hits her life-long friend Sal for apparently no reason and now he wont talk to her. It turns out his name is Marcus and hes a nice guy&a little strange, but nice. Miranda makes a new friend in Annemarie, however Annemaries best friend is Julia. Miranda and Julia havent spoken to each other in years. Theres a crazy man who hangs out on her street, kicking up a storm at absolutely nothing. And theres a Fred Flintstone piggy bank. What else could you possibly want in a book and what else could possibly happen?

How about finding a letter in her library book which says:

M.

This is hard. Harder than I expected, even with your help. But I have been practicing, and my preparations go well. I am coming to save your friends life, and my own.

I ask two favors.

First, you must write me a letter.

Second, please remember to mention the location of your house key.

The trip is a difficult one. I will not be myself when I reach you.

What does this all mean? Read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead if you want to find out the answer. Its a dandy book. The chapter headings are questions from the $20,000 Pyramid. The characters are great. The action is absorbing. I didnt want to put it down. Despite what I thought as I was reading it, it all comes together in the end, although you need to think about it. Im still thinking about it. Im not actually sure I get it, so maybe if you read it and understand it, you can explain it to me. However, it doesnt lessen my enjoyment of the book. Time will travel fast when you read When You Reach Me.

Miranda and Sal have been best friends since they were
babies, but on the day Sal gets punched in the stomach everything changes.  Sal no longer wants to hang out and she cant
figure out why.  Now Miranda has lost
someone who felt like a part of her, and to make it worse she has to walk by
the crazy laughing man on the corner all by herself.  When Miranda was with Sal, she could deal
with the crazy guy and his muttering and kicking but alone hes just too
scary.  When Annemarie, another girl in
her class, loses her best friend she and Miranda become friends.  Annemarie isnt a replacement for Sal, but
shes close enough.

On top of losing Sal, Miranda starts finding strange notes
hidden in her things that warn her of an impending tragedy.  How does the note-writer know that Mirandas
mom will be chosen to appear on the tv show The $20,000 Pyramid, or what shell
get for Christmas?  And why does the
note-writer warn her not to share the notes with anyone else? 

Even though Miranda makes new friends, and finds that the
boy who punched Sal really isnt all that bad, she has to solve the mystery of the
notes on her own.  Can she do it before
tragedy strikes?

Rebecca Stead has created a beautifully written work in When You Reach Me.  Set in New York City in 1978, this book is a
mixture of mystery and coming-of-age tale. 
Mirandas feelings when she loses Sal's friendship are shown with a depth that makes
the heart ache.  The mystery swirling
around the notes is intricately developed and detailed.  At the very end everything comes together, and
then you may just want to turn back to the first page and read the story again.  When
You Reach Me is a masterpiece, and I highly recommend it.