When You Reach Me

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time

• When You Reach Me heavily references this classic novel and touches on similar themes with female protagonists at a similar age.
• A Wrinkle in Time has been made into two films: a 2003 made-for-television film directed by John Kent Harrison and a 2018 film directed by Ava DuVernay.
• A Wrinkle in Time on SuperSummary

Jennifer L. Holm’s The Fourteenth Goldfish

• This middle-grade novel features a young girl protagonist whose grandfather takes a youth potion (in his quest for immortality) and becomes her classmate. Hijinks ensue. This is a light-hearted yet emotionally resonant novel that presents opportunities to discuss the ethics and applications of science.
• includes an author’s note and resources for real scientific connections to the research mentioned in the text
• The Fourteenth Goldfish on SuperSummary

Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Remarkables

• Haddix’s standalone novel revolves around the mystery of several teenagers who appear and disappear.