When You Reach Me

2010 Newbery Medal Winner
Author: Rebecca Stead
Copyright: Rebecca Stead, 2009
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House Inc., New York

Reading Level:
     Ages: 8 and up
     Grade Level Equivalent: 4.6
     Lexile Measure: 750L

Five keywords/phrases to describe the book:
Mysterious, curious, fun, entertaining, unrealistic

Suggested Delivery: Individual read

Summary: Miranda is a twelve-year-old girl living in the 1970s with her single mother, who is a paralegal and has been chosen as a contestant on the show The $20,000 Pyramid. While facing the struggles of a "latchkey kid," as Miranda calls herself due to the fact she has to hang out at school or other spots in town until her mother gets home from work, her life changes before her eyes. Her best friend for years, Sal, suddenly decides he does not want to be her best friend anymore, and Miranda is left feeling confused and seeking comfort in new friends, and even the laughing man, the homeless man who hangs out on their street. While helping her mother practice for the game show, Miranda is left a series of notes from a mysterious "you," as she refers to the sender, telling her to write him/her a letter. Miranda is forced to deal with her adolescent drama, help her mom train, and figure out who "you" is and what this person expects in the letter. With someone's life hanging in the balance, this mysterious novel will keep students on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

Vocabulary:
1) Paralegal (page 10)
2) Cacao chocolate (page 34)
3) Café au lait (page 34)
4) Physics (page 52)
5) Epilepsy (page 92)
6) Truce (page 147)
7) Torment (page 158)

Electronic Resources:

Rebecca Stead - This is Rebecca Stead's personal website that is full of fun graphics that students will love. Students can go to this site to learn more about the author, view her other books, or even visit her blog. Teachers can also use this site to have Rebecca visit their school or library, or for book talks or educator guides.


Time Travel - This article, featured on CNN.com, discusses time travel and if it is possible or not. Since the plot of the book centers around time travel, with both Miranda and Marcus' conversations and the ending of the book, students may have questions about time travel and how realistic it is. Students can read this article from CNN and learn all about time travel and how possible it truly is.

Comprehension Strategies:
Before: Students will be using journals throughout the book to record their thoughts. Before starting the book, have students read the summary provided by the author on the inside cover of the book. Based off of this summary, have students write any predictions they can think of for the book. They should predict things they think may happen in the storyline, and they will reflect on these predictions later on.

During: Throughout the story, Miranda refers to a mysterious "you" that she is writing her letter to. With the first mention of "you," have students write in their journals who they think this "you" may be. Then, throughout the story, if their opinion of who "you" may be changes, have them record the page number that they changed their mind, and who they think this person may be. Additionally, have students write a sentence or two as to why their opinion changed with supporting evidence from the story.

After: Have a group discussion with the class as a whole. This discussion should center around the questions, "Who did Miranda end up writing her letter to? Does this agree with your journal predictions? When did you know this is who Miranda was writing her letter to? What gave this away?" Students will be able to share when they figured it out and how, and communicate with others about their opinions of the book.

Writing: In their journals, have students extend the story. The story ends with Miranda thinking to herself about how she will give Marcus the letter, but never reveals her doing so. Have students respond to the question, "How do you think Marcus will react to the letter? Why do you think this? Use details from the story to support your answer." Students should have a 1-2 paragraph response to conclude their journals and hand in for grading.

Citation:
Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.