Newbery Award: When You Reach Me
Author: Rebecca Stead
Genre: Science Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction
Major Awards: Newbery Medal 2010, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee 2011, IRA Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Award for Young Adult–Fiction 2010, Indies Choice Book Award for Middle Reader 2010, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry 2010, Andre Norton Award Nominee 2009
Age Group: 9-11 years old
This is a mystery, and the cover lays out the clues. Each is a puzzle piece that when put together tells the story of When You Reach Me. I guess you could say it all started with a punch. Miranda, the protagonist, and her friend Sal have always been close, until one day a boy, who we later learn is a boy named Marcus comes up and punches Sal in the stomach for what seems to be absolutely no reason, from that day on Sal chooses to shut Miranda out. At the same time while at the library and looking through a book when a mysterious note appears that says "I'm coming to save your friend's life and your own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter." The first letter is addressed to M, whom she believes could be anyone so after showing her mom Miranda simply ignores it. There's a sandwich shop near Miranda's school and Miranda and her friends Colin and Annemarie get a job working (although they don't get paid) at a sandwich shop of which Miranda refers to as Jimmy's because he's the only person that works there and he owns the place. One day while counting bread rolls at the bottom of the bread bag there was the second note with further instructions, and a request to keep the note secret. The note is found in Miranda's coat pocket and offers proof that what the mysterious letters are truthful, and Miranda is intrigued when everything that is written in the letter comes true. Miranda later recognizes Marcus at school as the person who punched Sal and asks him why he did what he did. After Marcus explained why he did what he did the two connect over Miranda's love for A Wrinkle in Time that is mentioned multiple times throughout the novel. After that punch, Sal grew fearful of Marcus and tried to avoid him as much as possible. There is also a man who lives by their mailbox who he kids refer to as the "laughing man" because he was always laughing to himself or uttering the words "book, bag, pocket, shoe" which at the time to Miranda made no sense. All three of these people connect in one moment in time, Miranda still had the letters, but didn't know who sent them or which friend needed saving until one day after school. Sal was outside of the school and saw Marcus approaching him, so he ran. Marcus was only trying to apologize for punching Sal, but Sal wouldn't stop running so much so he wasn't looking and ran into the street at the exact time a truck was approaching. At that moment Miranda knew that Sal was the friend that needed saving, and just like that second before he gets hit by the car, the laughing man pushes him out of the way and gets hit instead. After, the fourth note appears in a shoe that belongs to Miranda's mom's boyfriend that had previously gone missing the pieces begin to connect. In the shoe, She finds the final note that says to tell the story leading up to that moment in great detail. She then realizes that the laughing man's chanting of the words "book, bag, pocket, shoe" were all the places she had found notes and understands surprised that the writer of the letters was always with her from the start. Miranda eventually finds out the laughing man was actually future Marcus coming to save Sal from being killed and he needed Miranda to help give the note to his younger self. It turns out the mystery involved time travel but was all happening simultaneously.
When You Reach Me is an incredibly fascinating book one of which I believe all students will enjoy. This book would make an excellent addition to any 4th-6th-grade classroom library. The mystery in the story and the concept of time travel is very intriguing. As we were reading me and my brother were trying to piece together the mystery and my brother actually guessed who was the person sending the letters in the end. When I saw how engaged both my brother and I were getting into the story I knew that students would do the same. As a class, read aloud a chapter in class every day and the puzzle pieces could be revealed one by one. The teacher could use an anchor chart of a section of the board to pin up clues and bring in actual objects like a shoe and a book to really bring the mystery to life and have students make predictions as to who they think is sending the letters. I also thought it would be nice if before reading When You Reach Me the class could read A Wrinkle in Time not only is it Miranda's favorite book but many references to the book are made in When You Reach Me. I think by reading a Wrinkle in Time first students can make a text to text connections to this book and understand more in-depth the references made in the novel.
Age Group: 9-11 years old
This is a mystery, and the cover lays out the clues. Each is a puzzle piece that when put together tells the story of When You Reach Me. I guess you could say it all started with a punch. Miranda, the protagonist, and her friend Sal have always been close, until one day a boy, who we later learn is a boy named Marcus comes up and punches Sal in the stomach for what seems to be absolutely no reason, from that day on Sal chooses to shut Miranda out. At the same time while at the library and looking through a book when a mysterious note appears that says "I'm coming to save your friend's life and your own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter." The first letter is addressed to M, whom she believes could be anyone so after showing her mom Miranda simply ignores it. There's a sandwich shop near Miranda's school and Miranda and her friends Colin and Annemarie get a job working (although they don't get paid) at a sandwich shop of which Miranda refers to as Jimmy's because he's the only person that works there and he owns the place. One day while counting bread rolls at the bottom of the bread bag there was the second note with further instructions, and a request to keep the note secret. The note is found in Miranda's coat pocket and offers proof that what the mysterious letters are truthful, and Miranda is intrigued when everything that is written in the letter comes true. Miranda later recognizes Marcus at school as the person who punched Sal and asks him why he did what he did. After Marcus explained why he did what he did the two connect over Miranda's love for A Wrinkle in Time that is mentioned multiple times throughout the novel. After that punch, Sal grew fearful of Marcus and tried to avoid him as much as possible. There is also a man who lives by their mailbox who he kids refer to as the "laughing man" because he was always laughing to himself or uttering the words "book, bag, pocket, shoe" which at the time to Miranda made no sense. All three of these people connect in one moment in time, Miranda still had the letters, but didn't know who sent them or which friend needed saving until one day after school. Sal was outside of the school and saw Marcus approaching him, so he ran. Marcus was only trying to apologize for punching Sal, but Sal wouldn't stop running so much so he wasn't looking and ran into the street at the exact time a truck was approaching. At that moment Miranda knew that Sal was the friend that needed saving, and just like that second before he gets hit by the car, the laughing man pushes him out of the way and gets hit instead. After, the fourth note appears in a shoe that belongs to Miranda's mom's boyfriend that had previously gone missing the pieces begin to connect. In the shoe, She finds the final note that says to tell the story leading up to that moment in great detail. She then realizes that the laughing man's chanting of the words "book, bag, pocket, shoe" were all the places she had found notes and understands surprised that the writer of the letters was always with her from the start. Miranda eventually finds out the laughing man was actually future Marcus coming to save Sal from being killed and he needed Miranda to help give the note to his younger self. It turns out the mystery involved time travel but was all happening simultaneously.
When You Reach Me is an incredibly fascinating book one of which I believe all students will enjoy. This book would make an excellent addition to any 4th-6th-grade classroom library. The mystery in the story and the concept of time travel is very intriguing. As we were reading me and my brother were trying to piece together the mystery and my brother actually guessed who was the person sending the letters in the end. When I saw how engaged both my brother and I were getting into the story I knew that students would do the same. As a class, read aloud a chapter in class every day and the puzzle pieces could be revealed one by one. The teacher could use an anchor chart of a section of the board to pin up clues and bring in actual objects like a shoe and a book to really bring the mystery to life and have students make predictions as to who they think is sending the letters. I also thought it would be nice if before reading When You Reach Me the class could read A Wrinkle in Time not only is it Miranda's favorite book but many references to the book are made in When You Reach Me. I think by reading a Wrinkle in Time first students can make a text to text connections to this book and understand more in-depth the references made in the novel.
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