When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me

• Rebecca Stead
• Wendy Lamb Books

When You Reach Me came to me as a recommendation by Maya Byers of Babar Books. Miranda, the main character is dealing with a lot of issues: the loss of her best friend, a mother who wants to be on a game show and spends much of her time practising with flash cards and then some mysterious letters. The letters warn of a possible tragedy; Miranda tries to understand them to avert it. There are enough clues that children can solve this through their reading.

Maya particularly liked the character development and the rich details about every day life. She felt that it was somewhat evocative of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which figures in the story. The book is part mystery and part a story of growing up.

To read a short interview with Rebecca Stead that appeared in The Horn Book, click here. This looks like a great book to add to your classroom library.