When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

A strange and wonder-full book.  If you haven't read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle, you may feel a bit lost at the beginning of this tale, but don't worry; everyone who reads this book will be a bit lost at some point or another.  It seems, at first, to have too many weird and unconnected characters, to be disjointed and awkward, and for awhile, I thought that was a mirror of the feelings of main character.  As I read further, however, I realized that, while she is the connection between all these strange and quirky people, the real action of the story was occurring somewhere else.  The strange notes and little clues made it clear that, as in A Wrinkle in Time, someone else, from some other time, was the key.  In the end, when it all came together, I was filled with wonder at how this author made it all work.  While I wouldn't recommend this for someone who struggles with reading, this is a definite must for those who need something with more sophistication and deeper character development.  Now, I may have to go back and re-read A Wrinkle in Time!