The Book Club Shelf

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When You Reach Me

Author: Rebecca Stead (website)
Lexile Score: 750
Genre: Science Fiction, mystery
Maturity level: 4th grade (although this may require some more mature thought, for maybe grade... OK I admit it I can barely fathom some of this myself)
Pages: 197  Chapters: most are 1-2 pages long, I didn't count them but there are a lot  
Pages per chapter: 1-3 
Theme: friendship, physics
Project ideas: Read A Wrinkle in Time, compare/contrast.  Reread When You Reach Me, sit and think and discuss...
First Line:  So mom got the postcard today.  It says congratulations in big curly letters, and at the very top is the address of studio TV-15 on West 58th Street.
Main Character: Miranda (Mira)
Review in 25 words or less: A lot to keep track of at first, written enigmatically in second person.  Probably requires a second reading to fully grasp the brilliance.
Grade: A
Miranda is a 6th grader in New York, and has received four strange notes on small bits of paper, seemingly predicting the future.  Miranda's mom is preparing to appear on 20,000 Pyramid.  Miranda's relationships are taking turns and twists and keeping her in a constant state of confusion.  Miranda is reading A Wrinkle in Time, and reconsidering her own common sense.  If all this sounds like too much for one small novel, ooh boy, you just wait.  You don't know the half of it.
    So I probably should reread this book first, or at least let it ferment in my brain for a few days before I attempt to comment on it.  I just finished it an hour ago, and I already like it way more than I did when I finished it.  Oop - another minute just went by and I like it even more now.  What I mean is, this book is crazy good.  Unfortunately, one of my favorite reviewers loves this book, and I went into reading it full of high expectations.  Along the way, I was feeling more and more let down as I became enveloped in the confusion of the story.  How could a book with such high praise be so confoundedly bizarre?  But the more I read - and, now, the more I consider - the more I appreciate this story.  Miranda is a wonderful character.  The story is about huge ideas and does not dumb them down for young readers.  I am sure 5th graders would feel honored and challenged by this book.  I think I'll read it to my students this year and see what they think.  I'm not sure how it would sound as a read-aloud.
    Well - random thoughts for a complex book.  Rebecca Stead - I am in awe of your brain, well done!