When inspiration turns into a puzzle

    I’ve been a bit behind on reading the award winning books for children’s literature. When I found out that this year’s Newberry winning book, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, was inspired by one of my all time favorite books as kid, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engline, I knew I had to move this book up in my queue of ‘to be read books’.

Description: Miranda has an ordinary life that centers on family and school. When her mother is selected and starts to prepare to be a contestant on the game show, anonymous notes are sent to Miranda suggesting that something bad is going to happen to her friend. Who is sending these notes and which friend is going to be in trouble?

Review: I enjoyed reading this book, particularly the references to L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. Like its inspiration, When you reach me is also a book about time travel and mystery. Though there are some direct connections to the book such as saving a person you love and time travel, the similarities stop there. While the notes kept my attention, I quickly figured out the mystery, but I’m still uncertain about its significance. Children who have not read A Wrinkle in Time will get lost in the story and miss these references. The chapters are short and I liked Miranda’s keen observations about people around her. Overall, I thought it was well written but I enjoyed last year’s Newberry winner, Neil Gaiman’s fantastic The Graveyard Book, much more.

Rating: 3 stars

If you like this book, try: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle