From the Bookshelf of What's the Name of That Book???…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
Utterly engaging!
Shortly after the Newberys were announced, I was at a bookstore talking with some children's book authors, and some of the booksellers. They were talking about the Newbery awards, always a hot-button topic, and one of the other authors (Ann Cannon) was saying how much she adored the new winner, When You Reach Me. She said that it reminded her of books she had read as a kid, and that it was just a treat for her to read.
Ann, I agree 100%.
This book was a treat. A delight. It remind ...more
Shortly after the Newberys were announced, I was at a bookstore talking with some children's book authors, and some of the booksellers. They were talking about the Newbery awards, always a hot-button topic, and one of the other authors (Ann Cannon) was saying how much she adored the new winner, When You Reach Me. She said that it reminded her of books she had read as a kid, and that it was just a treat for her to read.
Ann, I agree 100%.
This book was a treat. A delight. It remind ...more
Aug 08, 2012
Kerry (The Roaming Librarian) O'Donnell
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-lit,
science-fiction
When I first read When You Reach Me, I was drawn in by the idea that Miranda was such a fan of A Wrinkle in Time, because I was too at her age. As I read through the story, all the little details began to add up, and I really liked how the author tied everything together. I felt for Miranda because of the rift in her relationship with her friend, and she really didn’t understand what happened. Its such a simple thing that happens over and over again at that age. I thought that was something a lo
...more
I loved the flavor of this book! I wonder why Stead chose to set it in 1978, but that feeling was realized. I had no idea what it was about when I began it, and was surprised to find out that it has to do with time travel (the main character, Miranda, makes many references to her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time). I am rarely comfortable with time travel as a plot device, as it makes my brain feel funny, but I was okay with it here. A few obvious flaws have to exist in any time-travel book, and
...more
I heard a lot of good things about this book but while pleasant, I thought it was a bit clumsy and a lot derivative. And it was obviously meant up be derivative with the L'Engle references, but nostalgia for nostalgia 's sake is not super memorable. Beyond, L'Engle the narrative voice was a pastiche of those found in Harriet the Spy, the Teddy Bear Habit, and Freaky Friday (and not in a good way).
...more
Oct 10, 2009
Laura
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mt-bookpile-pre-2010,
old-reads
Books like this leave me tongue-tied (finger-tied?) because so many others have been so eloquent about why this is a great book, and I'm not up to their level.
Having said that, I felt for Mira and her confusion about her relationship with Sal, her struggling to find other friends (and succeeding), and her realization about "never feeling meaner than the moment you stop being mean". The 12-year-olds here are really 12 - it doesn't feel as though the adult writing the book is trying to remember wh ...more
Having said that, I felt for Mira and her confusion about her relationship with Sal, her struggling to find other friends (and succeeding), and her realization about "never feeling meaner than the moment you stop being mean". The 12-year-olds here are really 12 - it doesn't feel as though the adult writing the book is trying to remember wh ...more
I'm recommending this to my two older grandchildren. Miranda is a normal 12 year old whose favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time. She and Sal have been friends since they were toddlers, they do everything together. After a kid neither knew punched him in the stomach, Sal stopped talking and hanging out with Miranda. She goes on with her life, makes new friends and has adventures but is always sad about Sal. One day she finds a note in her room that tells her to write a letter and the mystery begins
...more
My little sister and I read this together. It's a cute introduction to time travel for ages 10-12.
...more
I can see why this won the Newbery. Excellent read.
PW Top 100 2009
Completely unexpected turn that was inevitable and beautifully executed.
Jan 23, 2010
Lori
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrenbooks,
ya-books
