When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

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Title: When You Reach Me
Author: Rebecca Stead
Lexile: 750L
Genra: Science Fiction
Awards: Newbery Medal

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Review. When You Reach Me took me by surprise, I hadn’t read anything about it, all I knew was the assumption that it was either fantasy or science fiction based upon our module. Reading it in this way, with very little context, was very organic. For the first 50 pages or so I couldn’t see how either fantasy or science fiction was going to be introduced. (In fact, even after I gathered the story was about time travel, I’m not sure if that was enough to call it science fiction. Aside from some clues about Marcus being good at math and a brief discussion on time travel, the time travelling could easily be characterized as fantasy, it just sort of happens.) There is a clear foreshadowing to some events in the beginning, the reader realizes that something is amiss, but the book likes to hold its mystery. When the 1st note arrives, the rest of the book turns into a who-done-it as I’m actively searching for who the time traveller is. Up until this note the story could have been many other stories but when the note is introduced, there is a clear foreshadowing for time traveling. For the record, I thought that Sal was the traveller come back to punch himself to prevent…etc. But, with the introduction of Marcus, there was little doubt that he implemented it. Again though, I thought the punching of Sal was connected to a future event, I guess it was in a way but not as explicit as I was thinking.

Reflecting on how Stead’s time travel setup and her close tightrope walk of mystery I found the plotting to be really inventive. I’m not sure if it’s a tight knot on time traveling and its implications, pun intended, but it is a good introduction. If I am to be critical of the plotting at all, I would say that there were a few  points that didn’t add anything to the larger picture of the book such as the sandwich shop racism and Sal getting hit. The sandwich shop story felt a little tacked on, it wasn’t much of a catalyst for Miranda to become friends with Julia nor was it a revelation of her own insecurities, but rather a revelation into the sandwich chef Jimmy, which had no real consequence. Sal’s punch on the other hand was a catalyst for the story, but the inspiration for the act felt out of place, it ended up being something unrelated to the events of the story, in my opinion. Those points being said I really enjoyed this book, It was definitely a page turner and for a children's book Stead did not shy away from the hard truths of loss. I appreciate her ability to write something a middle grader could read and not have to be talked down to.

Ultimately, Stead’s strength of this novel comes from her characterizations of Miranda, Marcus, Sal, Annmarie, Julia, Miranda’s mom, all the ancillary cast, they all had strong presence. Though many were given brief descriptions they all had definite voice and character. The interactions of the characters is the driving force of the story, not really the time travel. If I had to describe it, I would almost categorize it as speculative fiction or magical realism, where just one element of otherness exists that transcends the lives of these young people. And, for a suggestion to young readers I would say read it for the story not for the science or fantasy, read it for the cast.

Activity: I would create a lesson around causation. I would introduce the word, perhaps the popular phrase the butterfly effect, than have the students report as much as they can remember of the previous day in a timeline journal. The students would then identify moments of cause and effect that could have affected or altered their day. This lesson would both teach causation and reinforce the format and style of the book.

Learning Standard:
AASL Standards 2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real world situations, and further investigations.

Learning Goal:
Students will investigate causation or cause and effect as it pertains to the natural world.

Learning Objective:
Students will understand the nature of causation by documenting their day in a reflection journal.

Learning Outcome:
Students will be able to identify causation, or cause and effect.