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  $15.99
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This title in other formats:When You Reach Meby Rebecca Stead
Staff Pick
My first thought when I closed the covers of this book was, Wow. My second thought was, I want to read this again. My third thought was, How can I possibly describe this book to anyone else?? When You Reach Me is like one of those great books/movies/albums where it's truly best if you know as little as possible before you start reading. I will say this: if you love A Wrinkle in Time, New York neighborhood stories, coming-of-age novels, are scientifically inclined, and, most importantly, adore untangling threads of a mystery, you will fall in love with this book. Perfect for middle-schoolers. Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Four mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late. From Our Staff:When You Reach Me is lots of different things, but mostly it's the best book we've read all year. And it will be the best book you've read all year. It's part mystery, part sci-fi, part realistic fiction with intertwined stories expertly told. The writing is graceful, and the story is the kind that you won't want to put down until it's done. The revelations at the end are satisfying, but in that bittersweet way since it means that the book is over. Get it before it becomes Newbery Winner 2010 (we predict)! Signed, Virtually the Entire Kid's Team. Review:"Twelve-year-old Miranda, a latchkey kid whose single mother is a law school dropout, narrates this complex novel, a work of science fiction grounded in the nitty-gritty of Manhattan life in the late 1970s. Miranda's story is set in motion by the appearance of cryptic notes that suggest that someone is watching her and that they know things about her life that have not yet happened. She's especially freaked out by one that reads: 'I'm coming to save your friend's life, and my own.' Over the course of her sixth-grade year, Miranda details three distinct plot threads: her mother's upcoming appearance on The $20,000 Pyramid; the sudden rupture of Miranda's lifelong friendship with neighbor Sal; and the unsettling appearance of a deranged homeless person dubbed 'the laughing man.' Eventually and improbably, these strands converge to form a thought-provoking whole. Stead (First Light) accomplishes this by making every detail count, including Miranda's name, her hobby of knot tying and her favorite book, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. It's easy to imagine readers studying Miranda's story as many times as she's read L'Engle's, and spending hours pondering the provocative questions it raises. Ages 9 — 14. (July)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:Sixth grade is full of mysteries for Miranda, a likable latchkey kid in late 1970s Manhattan. Why does the homeless "laughing man" suddenly haunt her gritty neighborhood? Why does her best friend, Sal, no longer speak to her? And who keeps sending the tiny, wrinkled notes that so eerily — and accurately — predict her future? Frantically, Miranda tries to piece together clues to prevent a tragedy,... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Synopsis:From the author of First Light comes this engaging novel in which four mysterious letters change a young girl's world forever. About the AuthorRebecca Stead is the author of First Light. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and their two sons. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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