When You Reach Me

Stead, R. (2009). When You Reach Me. New York, NY: Random House

Summary

Miranda is a middle school student and has had Sal as a friend for most of her life. They stop being friends after Marcus punches Sal in the stomach one day.Miranda meets a homeless man on the street who gives her messages that she soon realizes are the places where notes are left for her.  She befriends AnneMarie and Colin. They begin working at a deli but soon discover the owener is prejudiced against blacks so they leave.  Meanwhile, Marcus tries to apologize to  Sal. Sal runs into the street to avoid Marcus. The homeless man saves Sal from being hit while in the street. Miranda soon realizes that that was what the man was here for. To save Sal. She then realizes that the homeless man was a grown up  Marcus. He traveld in time to save Sal.

Commentary

It is a very interesting book and I can see how young readers like age 9 and 10 would enjoy it.  Their isn't mush of a unrealistic element until the time travel is introduced.  But the book on the whole is reasonable and entertaining. It is not confusing with new society and new rules. The book starts out as a mystery as Miranda tries to figure out who is leaving her notes and what the person wants her to do.  It ends surreal with a magic element of time travel.

Connections

Booklist Editor's Choice award and School Library Journal Best Book

Connections to text
This book isn't the teen drama type of YA literature.  It is more geared for younger teens or tween.  It starts out with many elements of realistic fiction; the characters could be real, the problem could really happen, the setting is believable. But that changes with the introduction of time travel. That changes this novel to fantasy fiction. The magical element does imply that maybe it can be considered science fiction but I don't think enough is included to warrant that classification.