This morning I finished When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, the 2009 winner of the Newbery Award (for the best children's literature published in the United States). I enjoyed this novel.
Miranda, the main character and through her voice this story is told, is 12 years old, lives in New York City, and is helping her mother to get ready to appear on the $20,000 Pyramid. Meanwhile, she starts to receive letters from a mysterious stranger that seems to know a lot about her. While she tries to discover who is writing the letters, she also experiences the usual symptoms of childhood: friends come and go.
I thought the story was an example of true friendship. I thought there was also an underlying story about how if you treat people well, you never know how that will come back to you. I'm glad this book won the Newbery Award, though either it was a slow year in children's literature or there was no competition. But at least the Newbery Award committee didn't try to send a "signal" like they have in the past. This is a book I won't be embarrassed or afraid to recommend to others, especially children. There is nothing offensive in it. Appropriate for a 3rd grade reader and up.
Now I am moving on to read The Wrecker by Clive Cussler.
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