When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
(Audio)
I had heard that this was an amazing book. And while I wasn't amazed, I did certainly enjoy it.
It's set in (I think) the 1970s, so the kids have a different kind of freedom and a different look at the world & dangers in New York City than they would in today's world. It's not all that different, though. Miranda's still a kid with a mom she loves and drama with friends. Her mother is obsessed with the $10,000 Pyramid game show and has been chosen to be a contestant; which means she helps her mom train. Her best friend, Sal, gets punched by some random kid and then cuts her out of his life. She makes other friends throughout the course of the book--even becomes a better friend in the end. And then her house is "broken into" and strange notes start appearing. That's where the mystery comes in ;-)
Without spoiling it completely, the mystery involves some time travel concepts and hinges not just on Miranda's participation but also has to do with the life of her friend. It's not groundbreaking, as far as time travel stories goes, but it's a fun demonstration of a simple spin on it. The fact that Miranda's favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time just makes me love her more :-)
This book went quickly--almost too fast to really fall in love with some of these characters. But the big climax moment makes up for that. Even if you figured it out (like I did) it's still a great ending. And for kids who haven't read a lot of time travel stories, this one is definitely worth the read, because it makes you think a little differently about cause and effect.