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When You Reach Me: (Newbery Medal Winner) (Yearling Newbery) Paperback – December 28, 2010
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"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 Post
This 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 Book
Five Starred Reviews
A 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
- Print length240 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level3 - 7
- Lexile measure750L
- Dimensions5.25 x 0.55 x 7.62 inches
- PublisherYearling
- Publication dateDecember 28, 2010
- ISBN-109780375850868
- ISBN-13978-0375850868
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Praise for the writing of Rebecca Stead:
The List of Things That Will Not Change | Goodbye Stranger | Liar & Spy | First Light | |
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Price | $11.98$11.98 | $7.49$7.49 | $8.59$8.59 | $7.99$7.99 |
Read all the bestselling books from Newbery Award-winning author Rebecca Stead! | EIGHT STARRED REVIEWS! The reassuring book kids and families need right now. | This brilliant, New York Times bestselling novel explores multiple perspectives on the bonds and limits of friendship. | The instant New York Times bestselling novel about spies, games, and friendship. | This remarkable and acclaimed debut novel introduces readers to a captivating, hidden world below the ice. |
Editorial Reviews
Review
A Junior Library Guild Selection
An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book
An ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults
A best book of the year:
Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Booklist, Indies Choice
Named to Multiple State Award Lists
Five starred reviews
★ "[W]hen all the sidewalk characters from Miranda's Manhattan world converge amid mind-blowing revelations and cunning details, teen readers will circle back to the beginning and say,'Wow ... cool.'" —Kirkus Reviews, Starred review
★ "[T]he mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children, and adults are honest bits of humanity no matter in what place or time their souls rest." —Booklist, Starred review
★ "Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the beginning and catch what was missed." —The Horn Book Magazine, Starred review
★ "This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers." —School Library Journal, Starred review
★ "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
[T]he believable characters and unexpected ending invite readers to ponder the extraordinary that underlies the ordinary in this fictional world and in their own.” —The Washington Post
"Absorbing." —People
"Readers ... are likely to find themselves chewing over the details of this superb and intricate tale long afterward." —The Wall Street Journal
“Incandescent.” —The Washington Post
"Smart and mesmerizing." —The New York Times
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
So Mom got the postcard today. It says Congratulations in big curly letters, and at the very top is the address of Studio TV-15 on West 58th Street. After three years of trying, she has actually made it. She's going to be a contestant on The $20,000 Pyramid, which is hosted by Dick Clark.
On the postcard there's a list of things to bring. She needs some extra clothes in case she wins and makes it to another show, where they pretend it's the next day even though they really tape five in one afternoon. Barrettes are optional, but she should definitely bring some with her. Unlike me, Mom has glossy red hair that bounces around and might obstruct America's view of her small freckled face.
And then there's the date she's supposed to show up, scrawled in blue pen on a line at the bottom of the card: April 27, 1979. Just like you said.
I check the box under my bed, which is where I've kept your notes these past few months. There it is, in your tiny handwriting: April 27th: Studio TV-15, the words all jerky-looking, like you wrote them on the subway. Your last "proof."
I still think about the letter you asked me to write. It nags at me, even though you're gone and there's no one to give it to anymore. Sometimes I work on it in my head, trying to map out the story you asked me to tell, about everything that happened this past fall and winter. It's all still there, like a movie I can watch when I want to. Which is never.
Things That Go Missing
Mom has swiped a big paper calendar from work and Scotch-taped the month of April to the kitchen wall. She used a fat green marker, also swiped from work, to draw a pyramid on April 27, with dollar signs and exclamation points all around it.
She went out and bought a fancy egg timer that can accurately measure a half minute. They don't have fancy egg timers in the supply closet at her office.
April twenty-seventh is also Richard's birthday. Mom wonders if that's a good omen. Richard is Mom's boyfriend. He and I are going to help Mom practice every single night, which is why I'm sitting at my desk instead of watching after-school TV, which is a birthright of every latchkey child. "Latchkey child" is a name for a kid with keys who hangs out alone after school until a grown-up gets home to make dinner. Mom hates that expression. She says it reminds her of dungeons, and must have been invented by someone strict and awful with an unlimited child-care budget. "Probably someone German," she says, glaring at Richard, who is German but not strict or awful.
It's possible. In Germany, Richard says, I would be one of the Schlusselkinder, which means "key children."
"You're lucky," he tells me. "Keys are power. Some of us have to come knocking." It's true that he doesn't have a key. Well, he has a key to his apartment, but not to ours.
Richard looks the way I picture guys on sailboats--tall, blond, and very tucked-in, even on weekends. Or maybe I picture guys on sailboats that way because Richard loves to sail. His legs are very long, and they don't really fit under our kitchen table, so he has to sit kind of sideways, with his knees pointing out toward the hall. He looks especially big next to Mom, who's short and so tiny she has to buy her belts in the kids' department and make an extra hole in her watchband so it won't fall off her arm.
Mom calls Richard Mr. Perfect because of how he looks and how he knows everything. And every time she calls him Mr. Perfect, Richard taps his right knee. He does that because his right leg is shorter than his left one. All his right-foot shoes have little platforms nailed to the bottom so that his legs match. In bare feet, he limps a little.
"You should be grateful for that leg," Mom tells him. "It's the only reason we let you come around." Richard has been "coming around" for almost two years now.
We have exactly twenty-one days to get Mom ready for the game show. So instead of watching television, I'm copying words for her practice session tonight. I write each word on one of the white index cards Mom swiped from work. When I have seven words, I bind the cards together with a rubber band she also swiped from work.
I hear Mom's key in the door and flip over my word piles so she can't peek.
"Miranda?" She clomps down the hall--she's on a clog kick lately--and sticks her head in my room. "Are you starving? I thought we'd hold dinner for Richard."
"I can wait." The truth is I've just eaten an entire bag of Cheez Doodles. After-school junk food is another fundamental right of the latchkey child. I'm sure this is true in Germany, too.
"You're sure you're not hungry? Want me to cut up an apple for you?"
"What's a kind of German junk food?" I ask her. "Wiener crispies?"
She stares at me. "I have no idea. Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
"Do you want the apple or not?"
"No, and get out of here--I'm doing the words for later."
"Great." She smiles and reaches into her coat pocket. "Catch." She lobs something toward me, and I grab what turns out to be a bundle of brand-new markers in rainbow colors, held together with a fat rubber band. She clomps back toward the kitchen.
Richard and I figured out a while ago that the more stuff Mom swipes from the office supply closet, the more she's hating work. I look at the markers for a second and then get back to my word piles.
Mom has to win this money.
Product details
- ASIN : 0375850864
- Publisher : Yearling; Reprint edition (December 28, 2010)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780375850868
- ISBN-13 : 978-0375850868
- Reading age : 10 - 12 years, from customers
- Lexile measure : 750L
- Grade level : 3 - 7
- Item Weight : 5.6 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.55 x 7.62 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #12,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Children's City Life Books
- #68 in Children's Mystery, Detective, & Spy
- #306 in Children's Friendship Books
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Rebecca Stead writes books for young people, including:
WHEN YOU REACH ME (NYT bestseller, 2010 Newbery Medal and Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction);
THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WILL NOT CHANGE (A 2020 Time Magazine Top Ten Children's Book of the Year);
LIAR & SPY (Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children's Fiction and a New York Times Notable Book for Children);
FIRST LIGHT (a Junior Library Guild Selection and a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens);
GOODBYE STRANGER (A New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Book Review Notable Book for Children);
And, co-written with Wendy Mass, BOB and THE LOST LIBRARY (A #1 Indie pick and Amazon's Best Children's Book of 2023).
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoy the book's mystery and intriguing plot twists. They praise the writing quality as subtle and skillfully crafted. The characters are well-developed and realistic. Readers describe the book as entertaining, exciting, and heartwarming. They appreciate the author's exploration of time travel and references to A Wrinkle in Time.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the intriguing plot twists and engaging storyline. They find the book fun and clever, with an interesting subplot and a satisfying conclusion at the end. The setting is described as intriguing and the mystery of the notes is well-crafted.
"...There is so much depth to this story, so much wonder and it is definitely one you must discover on your own...." Read more
"...There's so much more. To reveal would be to ruin a wonderfully plotted semi-mystery...." Read more
"...breadcrumbs throughout the story to bring it to such a satisfying culmination at the end...." Read more
"...The ending is so unrealistic -- though I think that was the whole point -- that it ruins the whole book. 2...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, cleverly crafted, and engaging. The author skillfully plays with language and inserts thoughtful nuggets. The book is easy to read and impressive, leaving much unsaid and understated, which is refreshing in these days of being bashed.
"...appeal to the younger audience it was written for while also being complex enough to not only appeal to s and the older children, but also complex..." Read more
"...of YA literature because it's entertaining, tends to be quick and easy to read, and in the best cases, can influence young adults to become..." Read more
"...It was a well written book which held the readers interest and the mystery element encouraged both of us to not put the book down until we..." Read more
"...She leaves a lot unsaid and understated, which is refreshing in these days of being bashed over the head with what's going on like they do in..." Read more
Customers find the characters well-developed and interesting. They appreciate the strong, smart female protagonist and realistic world. The kids' interactions and shifting alliances are authentic, and Miranda is an engaging narrator.
"...I believe Marcus is one of my new favorite literary characters...." Read more
"...is the journey Miranda, the protagonist, goes on, and how well her character is developed; she is insecure, confused, jealous, ungrateful, but she..." Read more
"...Miranda is a likable character who loves the book “A Wrinkle in Time” so much she reads it over and over again...." Read more
"...All the characters in the story are so real and so relatable......" Read more
Customers find the book suitable for readers of all ages. It's intended for middle-grade readers, but it also appeals to adults who enjoy time travel. The story explores bullying and growing up, providing an interesting challenge for young adults. Overall, readers describe it as a wonderful tale of transition between childhood and adulthood.
"...What I liked best about Stead's novel is that it was intended for a middle-grade audience, but also appeals to a crowd much older than that...." Read more
"...It’s good for the kid who starts to think about the networking in the school." Read more
"...This book club centered on younger and older generations and how we viewed a book of our choice...." Read more
"...But it is a quiet book, for thougthful kids who are trying to navigate their way through the 'tweens...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book. They find it entertaining, suspenseful, and exciting. The characters are relatable and enjoyable for readers of all ages. The story is satisfying and heartwarming, with precious moments.
"...On the surface Stead's novel is an enjoyable recollection of a NYC sixth-grader navigating the torrential waters of growing up and moving on...." Read more
"...into my adult years, I'm a huge fan of YA literature because it's entertaining, tends to be quick and easy to read, and in the best cases, can..." Read more
"...It was emotional at times, but it was mostly happily exciting. Definitely read a wrinkle in time before reading this...." Read more
"I. Those this rating because the book was full of excitement and mystery...." Read more
Customers enjoy the time travel in the book. They appreciate how the author weaves it into the plot and references to A Wrinkle in Time. The book brings them back to 1978, an accurate portrayal of the time period. It's a fantastic blend of mystery, historical fiction, friendship, and tears.
"...we could have chosen to read/discuss together as it combined her interest in time travel and and mine in reality based fiction...." Read more
"...The mystery involves time travel, the topic of income level disparity is touched on in a sensitive manner, and it's nice to see the popular girl..." Read more
"I'm not normally a fan of sci-fi or fantasy, but I do love reading about time-travel...." Read more
"...This book brought me back to that time, that place, and that family of Miranda’s...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's friendships and love stories. They find the relationships heartfelt, true to life, and well-written. The characters are described as caring, compassionate, and empathetic. Readers also mention that the book is a great mystery with romance elements.
"...influence young adults to become empathetic, intelligent, compassionate human beings. This book accomplishes all of those tasks...." Read more
"...It was very interesting. It had deep friendships. (And my mom loved it too!)" Read more
"...a single moment. This is a book about love: love between a young girl and her mother, love between people who have always been bosom buddies..." Read more
"...of age, 70s nostalgia, school days crushes and cold shoulders, and true heart... This book had it all." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read. They say it's a quick and fun read with a refreshing pace. Some readers mention it requires a second read, but it's a great choice for reluctant readers.
"...I'm a huge fan of YA literature because it's entertaining, tends to be quick and easy to read, and in the best cases, can influence young adults to..." Read more
"...elements of YA that I'm used to, but I still enjoyed it and finished it in a few hours!..." Read more
"...The book read quickly and the central character is engaging and real, but less is more. She didn't have to put every idea she had into one book." Read more
"...A perfect choice for reluctant readers - boys love it, too...." Read more
Reviews with images
5 out of 5
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2012Although I've loved most of my experiences with Newbery novels, reading too many of them close together can make them all start to blend together. Because so many of them are a coming of age story, focusing on a young or boy learning to deal with whatever hardships life has dealt them, some of the details begin to merge together creating a giant Newbery read instead of the individual books.
Although some stories have a tendencies to run together, there are some which are a such a w original idea, completely unique unto themselves that they demand that you remember them individually. When You Reach Me by Re Stead is one such story.
This book is brilliant. I might repeat that again, because I can't think of a better word to describe the story (unless I'm just going to stick with basically amazing.) I can't imagine the flow charts, timelines and diagrams Stead must have used to create this book. Everything within the story is connected, but nothing feels contrived. Too many times in stories where plot lines overlap and characters connect in unexpected ways, the coincidences become too much and too unrealistic for the necessary suspension of disbelief, and it lessens the enjoyment of the story, because I can't believe any of that would actually happen. When You Reach Me offers no such feeling. It is simply an 11 year old girl trying to come to terms with a life changing experience.
Miranda (Mira) is our main character and her voice is strong. Throughout the book, Mira is struggling to determine her place in a world that is suddenly different from what she had always known her world to be. Her best (and only) friend no longer wants anything to do with her, there is a 'crazy-shaped person' living on their corner who sleeps with his head under the mailbox, and (the most disconcerting and unsettling of all) she begins finding letters within her things, asking for assistance from an unknown, unnamed source who seems to know things before they happen. Mira's mind is practical and she finds it very difficult to accept many of these new changes. I love that we are able to watch and listen as Miranda's mind broadens as she learns to accept the changes within her life.
One of the complaints I had with this book the first time I read it was the desire to know more about some of the periphery characters. While that is still true to a degree, after the second read through I decided Stead's way was better, especially with Marcus. I believe Marcus is one of my new favorite literary characters. He is just so individual and he lives by such a different set of rules without ever really acknowledging that his way is any different, any more right or wrong, than anyone else's. Although I would love to know more about Marcus and the other great characters in Stead's novel, it is a selfish desire to know everything about everything, not something her novel is actually missing.
I refuse to go into too many details here, because this is one book that it would be a shame to spoil. Knowing too much about this book the first time you read it ruins some of its magic. There is so much depth to this story, so much wonder and it is definitely one you must discover on your own. I believe that the brilliance of this story comes from its simple comp ties. Those are what make it such a magnificent first time read, but allows you to enjoy the story more each time you read it. The story is simple enough to appeal to the younger audience it was written for while also being complex enough to not only appeal to s and the older children, but also complex enough to withstand multiple readings. I re-read this book just the other day, about two months after my first read through, and I found myself noticing much that I missed the first time through, and enjoying it just that much more.
This book was nothing short of fantastic and managed to hit upon the perfect degree of interest. It left me wanting more of the story and more of the characters, but what I was given filled all the empty places. It was everything it needed to be.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2012Miranda is writing a letter. She doesn't know to whom. She doesn't know why. But someone has asked her the location of the spare key. And to explain the day that her best friend, Sal, stopped wanting to hang out with her. Someone wants Miranda to write it all down ... so she is, slowly.
`When You Reach Me' by Rebecca Stead was the winner of the 2010 John Newbery Medal.
`When You Reach Me' is sort of like the Georges Seurat painting, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte". Up close it's just a bunch of tiny, tiny dots - indecipherable and meaningless. But when you stand back, you get the whole picture... and it's kind of magnificent.
Stead's novel is set in 1981, and is in part a recollection of her own childhood as a `key kid' in New York. She delves into the curiosities and concerns of many sixth-graders - like losing friends, getting somersault-belly when a cute boy walks past, and facing fears. For Miranda, her biggest fear is the laughing man on the corner street, the man she passes everyday on her way to and from school. He yells out insanities - "bookbag, pocketshoe" - he calls her new friend an `Angel' and Miranda a `Smartkid'.
Miranda's other consuming fear though, is that she's losing her best friend, Sal. They have stopped hanging out, upon Sal's request. A run-in with a bully called Marcus has sent Sal into a sort of hibernation, and Miranda doesn't know what to do about missing him.
But Stead's novel is bigger than the sum of its parts, and interspersed with Miranda's narrative about cute boy Colin, and working at Jimmy's sandwich shop, are curious asides to an unknown person who has tasked Miranda with writing a letter. This person wants to know the location of the key to Miranda's apartment. They leave notes for Miranda, foretelling of a Christmas present and her mother's appearance on Dick Clark's $20,000 Pyramid game show. This person also warns Miranda that when they meet, they will not look the same ...
And therein lies the true brilliance of `When You Reach Me'. On the surface Stead's novel is an enjoyable recollection of a NYC sixth-grader navigating the torrential waters of growing up and moving on. But there's more ... oh! There's so much more. To reveal would be to ruin a wonderfully plotted semi-mystery.
What I liked best about Stead's novel is that it was intended for a middle-grade audience, but also appeals to a crowd much older than that. Through Miranda, Stead explores big ideas through tactful and succinct sixth-grade musings, and it's a delight to get Miranda's view of the world.
`When You Reach Me' is nothing short of incredible. When you read it through once, you'll want to go back and read it again - hold the book up in a new light and appreciate the delicacy and interwoven complexity. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2024I read this book since it’s one of the reading materials that my daughter’s english class asked my daughter to read over. It’s good for the kid who starts to think about the networking in the school.
Top reviews from other countries
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jimenaReviewed in Mexico on November 22, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Un buen libro
Muy lindo libro tanto mi hija de 11 como yo lo disfrutamos.
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Rosemeire dos Reis G RodriguesReviewed in Brazil on January 5, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótimo
Veio conforte solicitadol
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aliceReviewed in Italy on September 12, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars libro bellissimo
inizialmente questo libro non mi convinceva molto e sono stata obbligata a leggerlo per la scuola ma è un libro molto bello e lo consiglierei a un pò tutti, non si è mai troppo grandi/piccoli per leggere qualcosa
- JUDYReviewed in Canada on December 4, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Any exciting read
Perfect for my grand daughter kept her interest and encouraged her reading
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Laura M.Reviewed in Spain on April 30, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Original
Lectura fácil y original enfoque. Una novela bastante cortita cuya lectura suscita distintas sensaciones. En línea con lo que me esperaba. ¡La recomiendo!