When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead

Summary:
It all began when Miranda's mom was selected to be a contestant on the hit game show "$20,000 Pyramid." Or was it when her best friend Sal got punched in the face walking home from school.  Or was it when the crazy guy on the corner showed up.  Or when the spare apartment key she and her mom keep in the fire hose box is stolen. Or when the first mysterious note arrives asking her to write everything down, because the letter writer is going to need the whole story in the future.  When space and time seem to collide, Miranda learns that sometimes the things we think are unbelievable are the things that shape our lives.

Review:
One of the best parts of Stead's novel is how it deftly deals with questions of time and space as it convinces the reader that things in the future can change the past.  And that things that might have changed the past from the future, like someone time travelling, won't change the past because the things that have changed the past have already occurred (she says it much better than I do here).  Miranda is a well written character, as are her friends and family.  Definitely a great read for tweens of both genders.

Genre: Science Fiction
Age Level: 5th Grade