I was intrigued when I read the back cover blurb of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me and I quickly got into the story of twelve year old Miranda. Then a former co-worker saw it in my car and said "OH I heard about this book, how is it?" I told her honestly that I wasn't very far into it, but I was enjoying it.
It's set in late 1970s New York City and Miranda's mom is preparing as a contestant for the $20,000 Pyramid, a show that my entire family watched when I was a kid. So immediately, I felt connected to this young girl.
But there is much more to Miranda's story. Her favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time and she carries a worn out copy with her. Her best friend Sal suddenly needs a break from their friendship after getting punched by a new boy, who we later learn is Marcus. Miranda makes other friends and learns that maybe Marcus isn't as awful as she thought he must be. Marcus and Miranda end up talking about A Wrinkle in Time and the possibilities of time travel.
Miranda gets 4 mysterious letters that tell her she will save someone's life. But the writer of the letters knows things that no one else knows, in detail. And Miranda doesn't know who she is supposed to save. A lot for a 12 year old to unravel on her own. As she works through her friendships and the mystery of the notes, Miranda starts to grow up and realize what is truly important.
A pleasure to read and to think about . . . this book will be released on July 14, 2009.
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