When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me 
By Rebecca Stead

Reader Response: As a reader, When You Reach Me, pulled me in to a somewhat mystifying yet engaging story line. The novel follows a 6th grade girl named Miranda, living with her mom in New York City. As Miranda takes on the normal every day challenges of a middle schooler, including what her new friends will think of her apartment, why her best friend Sal stopped talking to her suddenly, and why the annoying know-it-all girl in class irks her so badly, she also finds herself receiving anonymous notes that place her in a mysterious plot- one in which someone's life is on the line. I was not only sucked into Miranda's point-of-view, wanting her to resolve her issues with her friends, but also couldn't help but keep turning pages to find out who is pulling Miranda into this plot and why. The book is witty and entertaining, dealing with relationships that all can relate to. The ongoing thread of mystery, however, is what sets the novel apart and presents a fresh story to the middle school genre.


Evaluator Response: As an editor, this novel is a strong recommendation for middle school classrooms. The novel is written at a 6th grade reading level, but it would also be a strong choice for struggling readers in 7th/8th grades whose teacher hopes to place a matched grade level in their hands for independent reading. On a basic level, the story follows the life of Miranda, a spunky, clever, and relatable 6th grade girl. Given that the novel is based in NYC, it portrays characters from diverse backgrounds, both racially and socioeconomically. Students will have an easy time both seeing themselves in one of the characters yet still being stretched to look at how diversity affects the dynamics of Miranda and her friends. The novel depicts situations in which friends, including the white main character, stick up for their African-American friend who a store owner is suspicious of for no reason other than her skin color, and where Miranda becomes hyper self-conscious of her and her mother's apartment in comparison with some of her wealthier classmates' homes. In all, the novel presents rich opportunities to engage young readers.

Literacy Coach Response: My suggestion as a literacy coach would be that teachers stretch students' thinking by focusing on three areas: making connections, characterization, and prediction. Throughout the novel, Miranda is attached to A  Wrinkle in Time, as the concept of time travel becomes increasingly important. Teachers could use this as an opportunity to teach about how authors use allusions to other text, as students are likely to miss the full meaning of this connection on their own. I would also suggest that teachers use this novel to teach about inference and characterization, given the variety of characters who make an appearance in the novel's cast. Lastly, given the mysterious setting of the novel, students can be pushed to use what they do know from the text to make predictions about what they do not yet know.

Teacher Response: Students who thoroughly enjoyed When You Reach Me are likely to enjoy Rebecca Stead's newer novel, Liar & Spy. The novel maintains a similar style, following a compelling story of a middle schooler living in the midst of bustling city life, yet introducing deeper themes through a suspenseful mystery. In general, students who enjoyed the novel should be pushed deeper into the genre of mystery and thriller.