When You Reach Me

This past winter, I read several amazing reviews of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me, and then in January it won the Newbery Award. Needless to say, I had high hopes for this one . . . and it just about lived up to them. On the surface, this is another middle grade novel with quirky characters: Miranda doesn't quite fit in at school and spends most of her time with Sal at the beginning of the story, she helps her mom prepare for her upcoming appearance on The $20,000 Pyramid, and she starts working in cranky Jimmy's sandwich shop at lunch for a salary of cheese sandwiches.

But there's a disquieting mystery at the heart of this story: Miranda receives a note saying someone is coming to save her friend's life if only she'll write him a letter first. The stranger who sends this note--and future ones--not only knows where Miranda lives, but he is able to predict things that happen to her and her family. As Miranda makes more friends at school, she is able to unravel the mystery with their help. And, of course, her obsession with A Wrinkle in Time helps, too.

The reviews had said you needed to be familiar with Wrinkle, so I read that, too, before jumping in. I'm not sure how I missed this one growing up--it's not like I didn't much as a kid. I'm not much for science fiction, so I didn't absolutely love it, but I did like the idea that people were fighting the dark force trying to take over the universe with art and intellect.

Both of these books were fun, adventurous reads . . . for children of all ages! Now, it's back to the list. I'm jumping back in with Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh.