Author(s): Rebecca Stead

Junior Fiction | Marianne's Book Talkers

"Like A Wrinkle in Time (Miranda's favorite book), When You Reach Me far surpasses the usual whodunit or sci-fi adventure to become an incandescent exploration of 'life, death, and the beauty of it all.'" --The Washington PostThis Newbery Medal winner that has been called "smart and mesmerizing," (The New York Times) and "superb" (The Wall Street Journal) will appeal to readers of all types, especially those who are looking for a thought-provoking mystery with a mind-blowing twist.   Shortly after a fall-out with her best friend, sixth grader Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes, and she doesn't know what to do. The notes tell her that she must write a letter--a true story, and that she can't share her mission with anyone.   It would be easy to ignore the strange messages, except that whoever is leaving them has an uncanny ability to predict the future. If that is the case, then Miranda has a big problem--because the notes tell her that someone is going to die, and she might be too late to stop it.   Winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction A New York Times Bestseller and Notable BookFive Starred ReviewsA Junior Library Guild Selection   "Absorbing." --People   "Readers ... are likely to find themselves chewing over the details of this superb and intricate tale long afterward." --The Wall Street Journal   "Lovely and almost impossibly clever." --The Philadelphia Inquirer   "It's easy to imagine readers studying Miranda's story as many times as she's read L'Engle's, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises." --Publishers Weekly, Starred review

CONSTANT READER STAFF REVIEW: MARIANNE

Rebecca Stead is one of my all-time favourite junior fiction authors – somehow, she manages to pack so many ideas and feelings, and so much plot, into her small but mighty novels.

Our protagonist, Miranda, has a lot on her plate. She’s trying to understand why her best friend, Sal, won’t talk to her anymore, and help her mum practice for the TV quiz show she’s about to enter. Plus, Miranda’s got some new friends to get to know, and an unofficial lunchtime gig at Jimmy’s sandwich shop… oh yeah, and someone keeps leaving her mysterious notes about things that haven’t happened yet. What does it all mean?

The past, present, and maybe even the future are starting to get a little blurry, and it’s up to Miranda to solve the mystery! And up to you, too – every little detail in this book is a clue. Can you figure it out?