When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Winner, 2010 Newbery Award
Quick Summary
Four mysterious notes change sixth grader Miranda's life forever in New York City in the late 1970s.
Favorite Quote
But who wants to be treated like a real person? I thought. I wanted to be treated like Annemarie and have all my snacks tied up with ribbon.
About the Author
Rebecca Stead grew up in New York City and became a lawyer before she started writing for children. When You Reach Me was her second book.
My Project
To give this piece a mysterious, otherworldly quality, I began by painting the background with a mixture of blue, green, and purple paints and alcohol inks. (You can see a couple of stars if you look closely.) I added a copper-plated key that I hand stamped with "NY" (for New York, the location of the novel) to symbolize Miranda's latchkey kid status. I also added a little clock charm to symbolize the importance of time. Both the key and clock are attached with a little leather cord reminiscent of a shoe lace. I added the "2010" (the year of the award) using a black pen on a torn piece of paper similar to the notes that Miranda receives.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed this book very much. It has a strong connection to A Wrinkle in Time, so if you enjoyed that book, you'll likely enjoy this one, too. It's part mystery, part science fiction, with some late 1970s details thrown in. There's also a fun subplot related to the $20,000 Pyramid TV show.
Your Turn
Readers: If you read this book, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.
Back to the Newbery Book-Inspired Art Schedule