When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I loved this book! It's a mystery, historical fiction, a puzzle, a school story, a family story, and a friendship story, with a bit of time travel stirred into the mix. It's got echoes of A Wrinkle in Time - the main character's favorite book and an old favorite of mine as well - mostly in the way the author captures the small moments of place and relationships while she tackles the Big Questions About Life and the Universe. It's quiet and moving and tightly-written - there's not a single wasted word in the book. It's unexpected and wonderful with an ending that pulls together the threads of all the smaller stories in the book into one satisfying conclusion.

Buy When You Reach Me from Amazon or from your favorite indie bookseller.