Sixth-grader Miranda lives in 1978 New York City with her mother, and her life compass is Madeleine L'Enlge's A Wrinkle in Time. When she receives a series of enigmatic notes that claim to want to save her life, she comes to believe that they are from someone who knows the future. Miranda spends considerable time observing a raving vagrant who her mother calls the laughing man and trying to find the connection between the notes and her everyday life. Discerning readers will realize the ties between Miranda's mystery and L'Engle's plot, but will enjoy hints of fantasy and descriptions of middle school dynamics. Rebecca Stead's story was the 2010 Newberry Award winner and for good reason. This fantasy/mystery story for young adult or adolescent readers will reach all types of readers because of its strong story line, plot twists and strong characters. I am not one to typically like fantasy or science fiction stories. I have a hard time visualizing the obscure features that sometimes occur in the genre and keeping track of characters. However, this story immediately drew me in because of its realistic fiction style of writing. In fact, it wasn't until I was part was through the story that I even realized that it wasn't a realistic fiction story at all. By that point, I was so drawn into the story line that I needed to finish to reach a conclusion. This story would again be a great read for any adolescent reader, especially those in a book club. The chance to talk about what is happening will help to aid in the comprehension of a story that may be quite thought provoking.
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