I first heard about Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me (Random House 2009) from a book editor who said, “There is so much buzz about this book, I think it might win the Newbery.” Set in the 70′s in New York City, the story centers on sixth grade Miranda and her best friend Sal. Miranda (a girl) and Sal (a boy) live in the same apartment complex, both are from single-mom families, and they’ve been best friends...
Author E.L. Konigsburg made Newbery history in 1968 when her book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the Newbery, and her first book Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was runner up. In 1996 she won the Newbery again, this time for The View from Saturday. The View from Saturday tells the story of five unlikely friends–four sixth graders and their teacher Mrs. Olinski. The structure of the...
