by Rebecca Stead
Description:
In 1979 a sixth grade girl, named Miranda, has her New York City life become extremely complicated. Her mother is preparing to be a contestant on The $20,000 Pyramid game show, her best friend, Sal, stops talking to her, and there is a strange, laughing homeless man on the neighborhood corner. In the midst of this complexity, her obsession for Madeleine L'Engle's book, A Wrinkle In Time, adds to the mystery. These strange, seemingly unrelated, aspects of her adolescent life culminate in a suspenseful and supernatural finale!
My thoughts:
The author, Rebecca Stead, has written a unique and edgy MG novel which takes place in the Manhattan inner city. When You Reach Me is seen through the eyes of Miranda, a sixth grade girl, as she writes down her thoughts and questions regarding her evolving adolescent life. Her relationships with her mother, her mother's boyfriend, and her own friends are written with a gut level authenticity. The pieces of the puzzle of her life come together in a whimsical, wonderful ending. This book won the 2010 Newbery Medal Award.
