Monday Book Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I had heard a lot about this book before I read it. Everyone seemed to love it. My reaction to the first few chapters was “Well, this is good, but is it really as great as everyone says?”

Then I got to the end of the book, and I understood why everyone had been raving. The twist at the end makes you want to go back and reread the whole back. Genius plotting!

Title: When You Reach Me

Author: Rebecca Stead

Genre: Mystery

Age group: Middle Grade (ages 9 and up)

Synopsis: It’s the late 1970s, and sixth grader Miranda is helping her mom prepare for her upcoming appearance on the TV show The $20,ooo Pyramid. Miranda’s life gets complicated when her best friend dumps her, the hidden apartment key gets stolen, and mysterious notes begin to appear. The notes accurately predict the future and carry a tone of impending doom. Can Miranda figure out what’s going on before it’s too late to stop the life-threatening event the notes prophesy?

Does it pass the “Homeschool Mom Test“? Yes. Miranda’s mom is a single parent, and although many moms may not agree with the diet Miranda gets away with, the author does a nice job of handling a single-parent who is dating.

Fun Fact: Because Miranda’s mom is preparing to win big on The $20,000 Pyramid, the chapters have titles similar to the categories on the game show, such as “Things You Find in a Box” and “Things That Go Missing.”

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