"When You Reach Me" Study Guide

What was Marcus' explanation for hitting Sal?

Marcus' explanation for hitting Sal was that his brother had told him to punch someone and then he would understand the world better. Marcus wanted to prove to his brother that he's not weak and that he wanted to understand the world better so he went up to Sal and punched him for no reason because of that.

How did Miranda describe Jimmy's "signature" look/physical trait?

Miranda described Jimmy's "signature" look/physical trait by calling him "Mr. Yellow Stains".

How does Miranda discover that Annemarie has epilepsy? Explain what happened.

Miranda discovers that Annemarie has epilepsy when she was sitting at lunch with her and she looked like she zoned out but was like that for a while. Annemarie didn't remember that she "zoned out" and didn't really remember that what was happening right before it happened. Julia then informed Miranda that she has epilepsy and told her what she needs to do to help Annemarie.

How does Miranda feel about Annemarie's father?

Miranda feels that Annemarie's dad is the best and she was kind of jealous. She felt like Annemarie was lucky to have a father like that but at the same time, she said that she doesn't miss something that she doesn't have, which would be her father.

Explain how Miranda found the "Tesser Well" proof?

Miranda found the "Tesser Well" proof in a book that she received from Richard as a Christmas gift. It was a first edition book and was signed by the author. With the signature, it said "Tesser Well".

What did Miranda give the Laughing Man? How did her mom react to the news?

Miranda gave the Laughing Man a sub from Jimmy's luncheonette that Miranda hadn't eaten. Her mom reacted badly because she said that there would now be an attachment between them because he would now remember that she gave him something when no one else does. Her mom later on thought about it and apologized and said that she would have done the same thing.

Explain how Miranda got her name.

Miranda got her name from a famous kidnapper. Her mom wanted to be apart of the law industry so she thought that it would be a fitting name for her daughter because it has to do with the legal system.

How old is Miranda/what grade is she in?

Miranda is twelve years old and is in sixth grade.

What did Miranda make her Mom and Richard at the end of the novel?

Miranda made her mom an origami frog and an envelope that she decorated with a tuition to law school. Miranda also made Richard a origami frog but she also gave him a sailor's knot key chain with Miranda and her mom's apartment keys on it.

What kind of "child" does Miranda say that she is? Explain.

Miranda says that she's a latchkey child because she is given a key to her apartment when she walks home from school by herself and stays home alone.

Give 1 physical/1character trait for: Miranda, Miranda's mom, Julia, Richard, Laughing Man, and Marcus

Miranda: Curious, considerate, sarcastic; curly hair, not really like her mother Miranda's mom: Diligent, proactive; glossy red hair, freckles Julia: Obnoxious, snobby, distinguished/rich, light brown hair, African American Richard: Goofy; Tall, called perfect, right leg shorter than the left, handsome, tall, blonde hair Laughing Man: Helpful, heroic, clever; acts not normal and everyone judges him, thirty fillings in his mouth, old, frail Marcus: Intelligent, oblivious at times, quirky; not too big, looks intimidating but really isn't, wears a green suede army jacket most of the time

What does the First Note say? Why was Miranda frightened by the second note?

The First Note says that Miranda must write a note to the letter writer and that she has to write a letter and to remember to mention the location of her house key, the letter writer is going to save her friend's life and their own, and that the letter writer won't be themself when they reach her. Miranda was frightened by the second note because she had shared her note when she wasn't supposed to. The note writer pretty much said that if she told someone again, something bad will happen to her. She especially frightened because the writer knew her full name and that she shared the note.

Explain the concept of "time travel" that Marcus talks about in his conversation with Miranda the first time he speaks to her about her favorite novel.

The concept of "time travel" that Marcus talks about in his conversation with Miranda is that time travel is possible. He also talked about how if you get back 5 minutes before you actually left, you would have seen themselves. But in the book, when they get back, they didn't see themselves leaving. He also said that common sense is a habit of thought.

Explain the events that happened during the climax of the novel.

The events that happened during the climax were when Marcus started running after Sal when he was trying to apologize but ended up scaring Sal. Sal ran out into the street and almost got hit by a truck when the laughing man jumped into the street and saved him. He had pushed Sal out of the street by kicking him and taking his life instead. Sal had a few broken bones but was okay for the most part.

What does the final note say? Where was this found?

The final note said that she had to write a letter to the letter writer, which is the laughing man but would have to be delivered to Marcus, about everything that had happened with the notes. It also said that she would have to deliver it by hand. It was found on Richard's missing shoe.

What items are found underneath the mailbox? What does this show?

The items that were underneath the mailbox were a drawing of Julia and a note from the laughing man that had their apartment key that had been stolen on it. The drawing showed that Marcus and Julia would eventually fall in love.

What is the major conflict of the novel? What was the resolution?

The major conflict of the novel is that Miranda was getting these notes and didn't know where they were coming from. She didn't know how the notes were getting to her or how they were predicting the future either. Also, the internal conflict with Sal and him not hanging out with her. The resolution was when she was at "The $20,000 Pyramid" and lifted her veil so she could see the big world and piece everything together with who is writing the letter. She figured out that the Laughing Man was the letter writer.

What is the major setting? (time/place)

The major setting is late 1978 to 1979. It was set in the Upper West Side of New York (at school, at home, on the streets)

What was the name of Miranda's favorite novel? What was Marcus' issue with the plot?

The name of Miranda's favorite book is "A Wrinkle in Time". Marcus' issue with the plot of the story was that it didn't make sense that when they got back from time traveling, they would've seen themselves leaving since they got back five minutes before they actually left.

Why do the other girls tease Alice Evans? What did Miranda do to help Alice?

The other girls tease Alice Evans because she always had to go to the bathroom and she never had the courage to ask. She used to never make it to the bathroom and when people made fun of her, she never stood up for each other. Miranda took her to the bathroom at an assembly and helped her make it to the bathroom.

Where was the spare key stolen from?

The spare key was stolen from the dusty fire hose outside of Miranda and her mom's apartment.

How did the war start between Julia and Miranda?

The war between Julia and Miranda started when Julia when she shot a rubber band at Miranda and they called a "war".

What words are written underneath the mailbox? Why are they important?

The words that are written on the mailbox were "Book, Bag, Pocket, Shoe". They were important because they were the words that the laughing man always repeated when he was walking around, practicing his kicks into traffic. It also shows that the laughing man had written those words on the mailbox as a reminder of where to put the letters so Miranda could find them.

Give two reasons that Miranda's mom decided to have the keys changed?

Two reasons Miranda's mom decided to have the keys changed because their apartment had been broken into and they felt that it was unsafe for them. She also didn't want someone walking around with their apartment key and being able to get into their apartment.

List at least two themes for the novel/back up with evidence.

Two themes for the novel are friendship can lead you to new things and things aren't always as they seem. A theme of this book if that friendship can lead you to new things because in the text it said, "You're a smart kid'...I couldn't let this happen to Marcus." This proves that once Marcus and Miranda became friends, she was able to help him and that later on lead her to realize that he was the laughing man. Being his friend helped her have the experiences to get to realizing who he will become in the future. The other theme for the book is things aren't always as they seem, because in the text it said, "Marcus is the magic thread. You are the laughing man. You are Marcus. Marcus is the laughing man. Or he will be, when he's old." This proves that you would never expect an old man that seems to be strange and different to be a friend that is around the same age as you. Miranda also couldn't expect that the laughing man was letter writer because he seemed to just be a homeless man that went crazy and not a man who was seeking to save her best friend and write letters to her about the future.