When You Reach Me
Rebecca Stead just won the Newbery Medal for her children’s novel When You Reach Me. Stead tells Kurt how she based her heroine, a sixth-grader named Miranda, on her own latchkey childhood in gritty 1970s New York City. There’s a time travel twist to the plot too: when Miranda receives anonymous notes instructing her on how to change events that haven’t happened yet, her mom’s “rules for life in New York City” can only protect her so far.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!