Recently, I was at a conference with several children's authors. While visiting, we compared notes about recent good reads. Kurtis Scaletta, friend and author of MUDVILLE, commented on a book he thought should win this year's Newbery Award. The Newbery Award is the "big kahuna" for children's novelists.
Kurtis was so adamant about this book that I immediately went out and bought a copy (from Micawber's) and read it in two days. The book is WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead.
WHEN YOU REACH ME is a middle grade novel set in 1970's New York City. I would call the genre "realistic fiction with a twist." Stead, who grew up in New York City (and lives there still) knows what she's talking about. It is so real. It's like you are living right there with Miranda, the 6th grade protagonist.
I love puzzles and Stead provides a compelling one in WHEN YOU REACH ME. Through a series of mysterious notes, Miranda must solve a puzzle that may affect the life of more than one person.
If you enjoy intelligent writing that feels "spot on" with its characters and setting, then I encourage you to pick up a copy of WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead.
Will it win the Newbery Award? I don't know. But I think it has a pretty good chance. At least Kurtis Scaletta feels strongly about it.
His best comment of the day was, "WHEN YOU REACH ME should win the Newbery. If I won the Newbery for MUDVILLE, I would almost want to tell them, "No. I can't accept it." I looked at him incredulously. He reiterated, "Almost."
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