When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

Stead's novel, targeted for middle school readers, is told from the perspective of Miranda Sinclair, a twelve-year-old girl living with a single mother in New York City in 1978. The two of them are poor, but content. (This made for an interesting dynamic--though they aren't wealthy, they also are not destitute and/or miserable. I think it is important to show readers this side of life, because it seems very realistic.)

Miranda receives a strange note asking her to record future events and write down the location of her spare key. From there, Miranda is tossed into a whirlwind of a mystery, wherein she must attempt to break past the mystique of this precarious situation. Taken out of her sense of self, Miranda must make sense of her surroundings and the people she interacts with. It is an enthralling, cleverly written story, one that is engaging and page-turning, and not at all trite. It doesn't feel like the author is talking down to her audience, even though the targeted audience of this novel is, in fact, middle schoolers. It's refreshingly smart for a "middle school book".

The mystery of the book will keep readers engaged, but I'd say given the somewhat dark nature of the book and the fact that it's not the most straightforward, easy read, it is best suited for 7th or 8th graders.