When You Reach Me

Author: Rebecca Stead

Copyright: 2009

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Reading Level: 5-6

Lexile Measure: 750L

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Science Fiction

Description: Adolescence, friends and friendship, supernatural, unraveling of events, neighborhood.

Delivery Suggestion: Individual

Summary: (2011 Newbery Medal Winner) Miranda, age 12, and her best friend Sal have become comfortably familiar with their New York City neighborhood, as they have wondered the streets together. One day Sal mysteriously gets punched in the face by a new kid. Sal then begins to cut Miranda out of his life completely. Several other things begin to happen that are extremely out of the norm for Miranda. Specifically, the weird behaviors from a homeless man, referred to as “the laughing man”, and the four mysterious notes Miranda receives that gives her the idea she is being watched. These notes identify things that haven’t even happened yet. Miranda is put in the situation where she can solve a serious mystery and possibly prevent a tragic death.

Electronic Resources:

Theory of Relativity Miranda is extremely interested in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. During the story, Miranda and Marcus have a discussion about A Wrinkle in Time. They also have a discussion about Einstein’s general theory of relativity. This resource provides students with the opportunity to read about and become familiar with the theory of relativity, which is referenced in the story.

$20,000 Pyramid This resource is kid friendly and provides students with information about the $20,000 Pyramid game show, which was very popular in America during the 1970s, the time period in which the story takes place. In When You Reach Me, Louisa’s mother is practicing for an appearance on the show. Students can use this source to learn more about the background, rules, and objectives of the game.

Vocabulary: Despise, teleportation, mystified, oblivious, justification, terse.

Teaching Suggestions:

-Use this book to discuss sequencing of events. One thing leads to another and eventually the mystery is solved. Have students identify what events in the story led to the resolution.

-Use this book to discuss social classes. Characters in the story have different social backgrounds and economic statuses. How does social class play a role in the relationships the characters have?

-Use this book as a supplement to a lesson on bullying. Have students name the bullies in the story and discuss ways to deal with bullies. Have students make connections from the story to their lives and how ways of bullying have evolved over time with technology. For example, cyber bullying- Facebook, Twitter, Instant Message, etc.

Comprehension Strategies:

Before Reading: In small groups, have students conduct research on fantasy and science fiction. How are the two genres different and how are they similar? Have students identify several books for each genre that they have previously read or that is located in their classroom library.

During Reading: Have students select five adjectives that best describe Miranda, Annemarie, Julia, Sal, Marcus, Jimmy, the laughing man, Richard, and Miranda’s mom. As they identify these five adjectives for each character, have them refer to a thesaurus to locate a synonym and antonym for each adjective.

After Reading: Go back and examine the chapter headings throughout the story. Have students work in pairs or small groups to determine how these chapter headings serve as clues for unraveling the events in the story. Then, instruct students to rename each heading to something similar, which will still work as a helpful clue.

Writing Activity:

Provide students with information to give them a starting point in creating their own mystery story. For instance, explain to students that they must come up with a mystery story that incorporates 5 best friends, a train ride, and a snow storm. Encourage students to be creative and rely on the techniques that Rebecca Stead uses to create elements of mystery.