Plot Summary - Miranda and Sal have been life-long friends living in New York City. They have a run-in with a new kid in town, Sal gets punched in the nose by the new kid. Miranda and Sal's friendship suffers after this incident. Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes from an anonymous source. There is a time defying element in this story that lends itself to science fiction.
Personal Reaction - This story was confusing to me at first. I had a hard time getting into this book but it turned out to be better than I expected.
Memorable Literary Element -The story is told form Miranda's point of view which jumps from present to past tense. There are many plots within this story that lend to many twists and turns.
Review - School Library Journal Gr 5-8–Sixth-grader Miranda lives in 1978 New York City with her mother, and her life compass is Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. When she receives a series of enigmatic notes that claim to want to save her life, she comes to believe that they are from someone who knows the future. Miranda spends considerable time observing a raving vagrant who her mother calls “the laughing man” and trying to find the connection between the notes and her everyday life. Discerning readers will realize the ties between Miranda’s mystery and L’Engle’s plot, but will enjoy hints of fantasy and descriptions of middle school dynamics. Stead’s novel is as much about character as story. Miranda’s voice rings true with its faltering attempts at maturity and observation. The story builds slowly, emerging naturally from a sturdy premise. As Miranda reminisces, the time sequencing is somewhat challenging, but in an intriguing way. The setting is consistently strong. The stores and even the streets–in Miranda’s neighborhood act as physical entities and impact the plot in tangible ways. This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers.–Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT
***Promotion Idea - The author, Rebecca Stead has written other great young adult literature including Liar & Spy and First Light. Lead students on an author study so that more can be learned about Rebecca Stead. She grew up in New York City, loved A Wrinkle in Time, and her mom was a contestant on the $20,000 Pyramid. This all follows When You Reach Me closely. Students can connect their real-world experiences to creative writing as well. The following link allows users to find out more about Rebecca Stead.
Rebecca Stead Site
Personal Reaction - This story was confusing to me at first. I had a hard time getting into this book but it turned out to be better than I expected.
Memorable Literary Element -The story is told form Miranda's point of view which jumps from present to past tense. There are many plots within this story that lend to many twists and turns.
Review - School Library Journal Gr 5-8–Sixth-grader Miranda lives in 1978 New York City with her mother, and her life compass is Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. When she receives a series of enigmatic notes that claim to want to save her life, she comes to believe that they are from someone who knows the future. Miranda spends considerable time observing a raving vagrant who her mother calls “the laughing man” and trying to find the connection between the notes and her everyday life. Discerning readers will realize the ties between Miranda’s mystery and L’Engle’s plot, but will enjoy hints of fantasy and descriptions of middle school dynamics. Stead’s novel is as much about character as story. Miranda’s voice rings true with its faltering attempts at maturity and observation. The story builds slowly, emerging naturally from a sturdy premise. As Miranda reminisces, the time sequencing is somewhat challenging, but in an intriguing way. The setting is consistently strong. The stores and even the streets–in Miranda’s neighborhood act as physical entities and impact the plot in tangible ways. This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers.–Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT
***Promotion Idea - The author, Rebecca Stead has written other great young adult literature including Liar & Spy and First Light. Lead students on an author study so that more can be learned about Rebecca Stead. She grew up in New York City, loved A Wrinkle in Time, and her mom was a contestant on the $20,000 Pyramid. This all follows When You Reach Me closely. Students can connect their real-world experiences to creative writing as well. The following link allows users to find out more about Rebecca Stead.
Rebecca Stead Site