When You Reach Me
By: Rebecca Stead
By: Rebecca Stead
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| Alternative early stage sketches of the novel When You Reach Me. |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stead, Rebecca. 2009. WHEN YOU REACH ME. New York, N.Y. A Yearling Book. ISBN: 978-0-375-85086-8
SUMMARY
Thirteen year old Miranda’s life quickly changes after her best friend Sal is punched in the stomach, making him decides he doesn’t want to be friends with Miranda anymore. Miranda begins to receive mysterious messages from a person who predicts the future. Miranda struggles to believe the letters, but each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final message, making her feel as if she is too late.
CRITICAL REVIEW
Absorbing, smart and mesmerizing are a few words that have been used to describe Rebecca Stead's, John Newberry Award winning book, When You Reach Me. Stead includes a quote at the beginning of her novel by Albert Einstein that states, “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.” Such an appropriate quote. It sums up Stead’s entire novel. Stead has created a mysterious and intriguing story, full of drama and is hard for her readers to walk away from. Stead grabs the attention of her readers from the beginning of the story, when Miranda’s mother receives a postcard from the television game show “The $20,000 Pyramid”, all the way to the end of the story when Miranda finally realizes who the naked guy running down the street is and who the man sleeping under the mail box on the corner was.
Stead has creatively titled the chapters in her book with titles that relate to “The $20,000 Pyramid” game show that Miranda’s mother is going to try to win. Stead has ingeniously woven these titles into her story so that they are related to situation or to an event that is going on in Miranda’s life. Once Stead’s readers realize that she has chosen these titles deliberately, it adds to the mystery of the chapter about to be read. Readers will find themselves thinking about things that bounce, things that you wish for, things that are sweet and things that heal before they have read the chapter. Each chapter leaves one wanting more.
Title: Things You Push Away
“Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way. But sometimes our veils are PUSHED away for a few moments, like there’s a wind blowing it from our faces.”
Title: Things That Burn
“Knock, knock!” Annemarie’s dad came in with these tiny sausages on a plate. “I’m on deadline,” he said to me. “When I’m on deadline, I cook. Do you like mustard? Try the dipping sauce. I’ll be right back with some apple cider.” He was back in thirty seconds with a glass of cider for me, but he handed Annemarie what looked like plain water. She didn’t seem to notice. Annemarie’s rug was spongy and soft, almost like another bed, and I lay down on it. Mustard always makes my lips BURN, but I didn’t care. It was worth it.”
“Mom says each of us has a veil between ourselves and the rest of the world, like a bride wears on her wedding day, except this kind of veil is invisible. We walk around happily with these invisible veils hanging down over our faces. The world is kind of blurry, and we like it that way. But sometimes our veils are PUSHED away for a few moments, like there’s a wind blowing it from our faces.”
Title: Things That Burn
“Knock, knock!” Annemarie’s dad came in with these tiny sausages on a plate. “I’m on deadline,” he said to me. “When I’m on deadline, I cook. Do you like mustard? Try the dipping sauce. I’ll be right back with some apple cider.” He was back in thirty seconds with a glass of cider for me, but he handed Annemarie what looked like plain water. She didn’t seem to notice. Annemarie’s rug was spongy and soft, almost like another bed, and I lay down on it. Mustard always makes my lips BURN, but I didn’t care. It was worth it.”
Stead has created characters that have personalities and behaviors that are just as important to the story as the structure and events that take place in the story. Miranda and Sal are both believable characters who are experiencing the ups and downs of maturation and trying to figure out where they belong in a group. Stead’s readers may be able to identify with Miranda and Sal because many of her readers could be struggling with these same issues in their personal lives. Miranda is a latch-key-kid who walks home with Sal almost every day. Miranda’s mother, who Miranda says has “glossy read hair that bounces around”, works a full time job and has a list of rules for life in New York City. She is a perfect example of single working class mother.
Mom’s Rules for Life in New York City
1. Always have your key out before you reach the front door.
2. If a stranger is hanging out in front of the building, don’t even go in-just keep walking around the block until he’s gone.
3. Look ahead. If there’s someone acting strange down the block, looking drunk or dangerous, cross to the other side of the street, but don’t be obvious about it. Make it look like you were planning to cross the street all along.
4. Never show your money on the street.
Mom’s Rules for Life in New York City
1. Always have your key out before you reach the front door.
2. If a stranger is hanging out in front of the building, don’t even go in-just keep walking around the block until he’s gone.
3. Look ahead. If there’s someone acting strange down the block, looking drunk or dangerous, cross to the other side of the street, but don’t be obvious about it. Make it look like you were planning to cross the street all along.
4. Never show your money on the street.
Richard is Miranda’s mother’s boyfriend who helps her practice every night for “The $20,000 Pyramid” game show. Marcus is the boy who punched Sal in the stomach and turns out to be more than just a boy who hangs out by the garage, which Miranda and Sal walk past every day. Annemarie is a girl that Miranda befriended when Sal stopped talking to her after he was punched by Marcus. Not one character has a small role in Stead's novel. Julia and Alice, who are the least mentioned characters, contribute greatly to Stead’s novel. Julia, who was best friends with Annemarie before Miranda came along, and Alice, who is a girl in Miranda’s class who waits too long to go to the restroom, are important contributors to this mysterious story. Stead’s characters have been carefully planned and add depth to Stead’s novel.
Stead’s novel creates curiosity for her readers. Her novel promotes critical thinking and creates opportunities for readers to think about sequences of events; asking themselves is time travel possible or can you go back into time and change history. Marcus sure thinks it is. “Some people think it’s possible you know,” Marcus mumbled. “What?” He pointed at the book. “Time travel. Some people think it’s possible.” Stead’s character Miranda’s favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time, which is the book that Marcus is referring to in the quote above. In A Wrinkle in Time Meg Murry is transported on an adventure through time and space to rescue her father, a gifted scientist, from the evil forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. Stead’s novel When You Reach Me has a theme similar to A Wrinkle in Time as it relates to time travel, science fiction, and nostalgia throughout.
Stead's descriptive words and elaborate details help readers realizing what it was like to be a child during the late 1970’s. “ In sixth grade, kids with any money, even just a little, go out for lunch unless something is going on and they won’t let us, like the first week of school, when there was a man running down Broadway stark naked and we all had to eat in the school cafeteria while the police tried to catch him. Most kids go to the pizza place, or to McDonald’s, or, every once in a while, to the sandwich place, which has a real name but which we call Jimmy’s because there was never anyone working there except one guy called Jimmy. Pizza is the best deal—a dollar fifty will buy two slices, a can of soda, and a cherry Blow Pop from the candy bucket next to the register” Stead’s paragraph about the lunch hour at school for Miranda is a great paragraph for readers to analyze. Adult readers may be able to say, “Hey, I remember leaving campus for lunch” but younger readers today may say, “I wish I could walk to McDonalds or the pizza place for lunch.” In the70’s off campus lunches were acceptable, whereas today, it is frowned upon.
Stead has created an exceptional and mysterious novel for her readers promoting wonder and creative thinking. Stead’s short chapters provide her readers with an easy read and encouraging her readers to continue for just one more chapter. Stead’s novel contributes greatly to the fiction genre.
If you're looking for a good read that keeps you guessing up until the very end, this is the book for you. This is definitely a novel that I would recommend to everyone who is interested in time travel, mystery or science fiction.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus Reviews- Starred Review - "[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.'"
Booklist- 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."
The Horn Book Magazine - "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."
School Library Journal – Starred Review
"This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers."
Publishers Weekly – 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."
Booklist- 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."
The Horn Book Magazine - "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."
School Library Journal – Starred Review
"This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers."
Publishers Weekly – 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."
CONNECTIONS
Related Text
First Light - Rebecca Stead- ISBN-13: 978-0440422228
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle - ISBN-13: 978-0312367541
A Wind in the Door- Madeleine L'Engle- ISBN-13: 978-0312368548
An Acceptable Time- Madeleine L'Engle - ISBN-13: 978-0312368586
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle - ISBN-13: 978-0312367541
A Wind in the Door- Madeleine L'Engle- ISBN-13: 978-0312368548
An Acceptable Time- Madeleine L'Engle - ISBN-13: 978-0312368586
Rebecca Stead’s Personal Blog
Rebecca Stead’s Personal Website
Activity 1
~Creative Writing~
Have children right about subjects related to time travel.
Topic: What would you do or go see if you could travel back in time.
Topic: What would you do or go see if you could travel back in time.
Topic: Would you rather travel back to the past or forward into the future.
Activity 2
~Art Activity~
Have children draw a picture of what they think they would see if they where to travel into the past or the future.
~Art Activity~
Have children draw a picture of what they think they would see if they where to travel into the past or the future.
Time Machine
Warp Zone (Hole)
Abraham Lincoln
Flying Cars
Dinosaurs
Future Gadgets
Warp Zone (Hole)
Abraham Lincoln
Flying Cars
Dinosaurs
Future Gadgets
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