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 forever.  Then one day Sal gets punched in the face by a random kid on the street, and suddenly Sal wants nothing to do with Miranda.  Miranda’s on her own and has to learn how to make new friends and fit in. 

There is so much going on in this novel I hardly know where to start.  It’s a coming of age story, it’s a story about mother/daughter relationships, it’s a story about friendship.  But it’s also a mystery with unexplainable, unsigned letters, a missing apartment key, and a crazy homeless guy on the corner, all wrapped up with a sci-fi twist a la Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.

When You Reach Me has a bit of a retro feel, kind of like the 70’s style t-shirts I see popping up in stores right now (although it may feel this way to me since I’m a child of the 70’s myself).  The novel is also proof that you don’t need international killers, vampires, or evil plots by fiendish ne’er do-wells to create a sense of suspense and mystery.  

The novel quotes Albert Einstein who said, “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.”  For children, life is full of mystery.  Author Rebecca Stead beautifully captures the biggest mystery of childhood, the mystery that is known as growing up.

Over the years we’ve read just about every Junie B. Jones book there is.  Another fun series is Ivy + Bean.  We just finished Doomed to Dance where Ivy and Bean decide they want to take ballet lessons.  They have seen a video of a gorgeous ballet with a thrilling fight scene.  Ivy and Bean are dying to take ballet lessons.  Ballet lessons would absolutely be the perfect thing. 

Both of their mothers remind the girls of all the activities they have started and then quit.  If they decide to do ballet they will have to STICK WITH IT–all the way through to the recital.

Ivy and Bean go to their first ballet practice and discover–shock!–ballet lessons are REALLY boring.  Mostly standing around pointing toes and an occasional hop.  Worst of all, Ivy and Bean are chosen to be squids for the ballet recital.  How horrible!  Can they solve this disaster?

With two fun characters that kids can relate to, Ivy and Bean books are great for kids who have moved onto chapter books and love to follow their favorite characters through book after book of a series.  I got my daughter three more Ivy and Bean books from the library just last night, and she’s already devoured one.  Ivy and Bean books are great for kiddos who are beyond beginning readers but still struggle with some of the unfamiliar terms in other series like The Magic Tree House or A to Z Mysteries.

Since it’s summer, probably the last thing you’re thinking about is a snow day.  But in some ways, summertime seems like one long snow day–no school, a change in the schedule, extra family time.

Snow Day! by Lester Laminack and illustrated by Adam Gustavson (Peachtree, 2007) praises those magical days (to kids and teachers at least) when school is cancelled and everyone gets to stay home. 

It all starts when a boy hears the weather report:   “Did you hear that?  Did the weatherman just say what I thought he did?  Did he say . . . SNOW?  Oh please, let it snow.  Lots and lots of snow.”

Think of all the great things a snow day means:  “No alarm clock ringing.”  “Tomorrow we’ll have a PJ day.  We’ll pile on the sofa and snuggle under that old blue blanket.”  “We can build a snow fort down by the walk.”  “We’ll go sledding in Mrs. Cope’s field.” 

The snow begins to fall and the weather report says it’s getting colder.  “Maybe we’ll get TWO snow days.”  The family goes to bed as snow begins to fall.  Except . . .

. . . sometimes the weatherman is wrong.  And everyone has slept in.  And no one’s ready on time.  And you’d better hurry because you can’t be late! 

Sometimes the weather just won’t cooperate.  “Drat!  I really needed a snow day.”

Lost and Found (Atheneum, 2008) is another fun school story by Andrew Clements (author of one of my all-time favorite books–Frindle).  Lost and Found tells the story of two identical twins, Ray and Jay, who move to a new school.  Since Ray is sick on the first day of school, Jay attends alone and quickly realizes that the school has accidentally combined their files.  No one at school knows there are two boys. 

For the first time in his life, Jay is seen solely as an individual rather than as part of a pair.  It is fantastic.  He tells Ray they should keep up the ruse:  ”I mean, think of it, Ray–every other day you could stay home!  And do whatever you wanted to.  And when you do go to school, you’ll be completely on your own there.  You’ve got to try it out Ray.  No offense or anything, but not being a twin?  At school?  It’s really great.”

The boys hatch a scheme and take turns going to school.  No one knows–not their parents, not their teacher, not the school administrators.  The plan starts to crack, though, when the boys individuality starts seeping through.  One is good at math but the other is a great soccer player.  One is a natural ladies man while the other is more reticent.  The boys may look alike, but they are two very different people.  And much to their surprise, instead of being able to be more of an individual, they have to start pretending to be more like each other.

As I read, I was reminded of my father-in-law, also an identical twin.  He and his brother never tried Ray and Jay’s trick, but they did sometimes switch classes to trick their teachers.  Perhaps bait and switch just comes with identical twin territory.