Cover of When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me

by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8, with a Lexile measure of 750L. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 4 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where When You Reach Me is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Lexile
750L
Grade range
Grades 4–8
Difficulty for grade
Within the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
Age range
Ages 9–13
Pages
199
Reading time
about 3h 40m (est.)
First published
2009
Genre
Middle Grade Mystery / Speculative
ISBN-13
9780375850868

Reading difficulty: At 750L, When You Reach Me falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.

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About this book

Miranda, a sixth grader in 1979 NYC, receives mysterious notes from someone who seems to know the future. Stead's 2010 Newbery Medal winner intertwines Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time with a New York coming-of-age story and is widely assigned in 5-7 grade for its layered time-puzzle structure.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Mystery / Speculative title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on time travel (speculative) and friendship; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

time travel (speculative) · friendship · 1970s NYC · mystery · metanarrative

Content notes

off-page injury · mild peril

Common Sense Media recommends age 10+.

Where this book is assigned

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See all books like When You Reach Me→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is When You Reach Me?
When You Reach Me is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8, with a Lexile measure of 750L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of When You Reach Me?
When You Reach Me has a Lexile measure of 750L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read When You Reach Me?
It takes about 3h 40m to read When You Reach Me (199 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 220 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is When You Reach Me hard to read for 4th grade?
At 750L, When You Reach Me falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign When You Reach Me?
When You Reach Me appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA), Garden State Children's Book Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award, and 2 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
750L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 4–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 4 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.