A young girl and her brother are approached by three strange women. They are then taken on a journey through time and space to rescue a father they barely knew. It was a dangerous and thrilling journey, but it was also just a story. A story about family and adventure and time travel. Which is possible, according to Marcus, at least in theory.

Miranda's life was simple, she had her mother and she had Sal, her best friend. What more could she want? Then one day something happened to change all that. For no apparent reason Sal got hit, Sal stopped talking to her, and a letter arrived.

Other letters soon followed about things that had yet to happen, that had already happened. Could the lives of two people really lie in Miranda's hands; a twelve year old who had just lost her best friend and was all but alone in the world? But as we see there is more then one way to save a life...

When You Reach Me is a circular story that is deeply thoughtful, philosophical and also just about a girl. 'Tell me a story' the letters had said, and she did. Miranda's story is simply about life, about friendships, about growing up and making mistakes. And also about time-travel. ( )

Truly an amazing book, and well deserving of the Newbery! Of course, when I finished it, I wanted to start right back over at the beginning...it's like a puzzle, and a second time through would have helped me fit the pieces. Unfortunately, I didn't have time--so had to be left wondering about these deep and beautiful characters: Miranda and Sal (best friends forever), Julia and Annemarie, the rather scary Marcus, and the adults--Miranda's mom, her friend Richard, Annemarie's dad, the crazy homeless man out on the corner...each has a part to play in this mystery which is about friendships, missing keys, secret notes, families, and time travel! It's a winner, all right! ( )

Twelve year-old Miranda lives in New York City in 1979, dreaming that her single mom will win the game show, $20,000 Pyramid. Street savvy and independent, Miranda reads and re-reads her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’ Engle, and considers the possibility of time travel. Miranda’s voice rings true as she wonders why her long-time best friend won’t talk to her anymore, ponders relationships with new school friends, and observes a cast of neighborhood characters, including the creepy homeless man who hangs out on her corner. Miranda is also anxious about a series of cryptic notes from someone who seems able to predict the future. This unknown writer is “on the way” to save her friend. Which friend needs saving? Why? And how does the note writer know so much about her? This intriguing mystery gently illuminates issues of family and friendship as well as racial and socio-economic prejudice. The story is a delightful puzzle and well worth reading. ( )

The Newbery judges have made an appealing choice for the 2010 winner. Twelve-year-old Miranda must decipher the meaning of a series of cryptic notes that seem to have something to do with time travel. All the clues are there for the discerning reader, and all becomes clear by the end. ( )

Since it's January it may be a bit premature to say this, but I expect this to be one of the best books I'll read all year. It definitely deserved to win this year's Newbery Award. Rebecca Stead has crafted a fantastic novel for young readers-and under 200 pages, no less!

The book features a well-paced plot, characters you care about, the "$20,000 Pyramid" and a dash of time travel theory thrown into the mix. How could anyone not love that? And I also love Stead's homage to Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time," which figures as an important plot device in the story.

Stead effortlessly takes random fragments of ideas throughout the book and then puts them all together at the end for a truly mind-blowing finale. I think I want to read the whole book again to see exactly how everything fits together. ( )