Lexile Level: 750L
I loved the perspective from which When You Reach Me was written. Knowing at the beginning that there is some kind of mystery makes paying attention to the details along the way exciting. Miranda makes it clear from the beginning that something out of the ordinary is going on, but for me, it wasn’t until about halfway through the story that I started to have my suspicions that there might be something fantastical at play.
I would call this book science fiction. Marcus turns out to be the time travelling hero of the story. He, Miranda and Julia even have a couple of conversations about time travel, which happens to be a theme in Miranda’s favorite book. They discuss the idea that time is only a construct, and that all ‘moments’ are actually co-occurring simultaneously. For this reason, this is a book based in science, though it is only a theory (at this point).
The author’s device was an interesting hook for me. I liked that the narrator already had the clues and revealed them at the appropriate times in her story. However, I had some trouble staying rooted in the story. Because the narrator kept jumping to certain events to revisit them and offer new insight, I didn’t stay connected to the characters.
That being said, it was a fun, interesting read.
Selling Tool/The Hook: "Buckle your seatbelts because you might not be ready for the twists and turns this book will take!"
Time Travel Art Activity Ideas:
Rebecca Stead mentions that one of the most influential books she read as a child was A Wrinkle in Time, by Madelyn L’Engel. The theme that they have in common is time travel, which is a fun concept to explore at any age!
A couple of ideas for literature connections to different subjects:
- Compare the story of Miranda and Marcus, from When you reach me, to Meg and her brother who must travel through time and space to rescue their scientist father.
- Build a time machine
- Read any of these time travel books: https://timetraveltimestwo.com/2012/10/15/list-time-travel-book-series-for-kids/
- Make Time Travel Mixed media art
- Watch a video about time travel theory here: http://easyscienceforkids.com/time-travel-possible-facts-for-kids-video/
- Discover Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
- Explore: worm holes, travel at the speed of light, super massive black holes, and cosmic strings.
- Creative writing connection: Give your favorite book a time travel twist. Choose a novel you know very well, and give one of your characters time travelling abilities. How will this change the outcome of the story?
- Virtual Field Trip through TIME
Learning Activity: After reading When You Reach Me, students will create an original piece of time travel art. Before creating their artwork, the class should discuss the real science involved in the unproven concept of time travel. Ask students to build their project around one of the following guiding questions:
- What would you bring with you to time travel?
- What emotions would you feel meeting your ancestors?
- What message would you bring to the future?
- Imagine meeting yourself in another time. What kinds of things might come up?
Grade Level:6
Learning Standard
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MA.CR.3.6a
a. Experiment with multipleapproaches to produce content and components for determined purpose and meaning in media arts productions, utilizing a range of associated principles (such as point of view and perspective). |
Learning Goals
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Students will represent the concept of time travel through producing art.
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Learning Objective
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Students will create and refine a piece of original art using new and recycled materials to illustrate the concept of time travel.
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Learning Outcome
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Students will create and refine a piece of original art using new and recycled materials and present them in the classroom gallery to illustrate the concept of time travel.
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Assessment: Present at gallery.
Self-assessment: Write a paragraph describing the process you went through creating your piece.
