2009
WISE Score
Amazon
A 1970s NYC mystery where time travel, friendship, and a very important copy of A Wrinkle in Time collide in the best way possible.
4.5
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This is a rare 'perfect' book. It’s a Newbery winner that actually deserves the hype and doesn't feel like 'homework.'
If your kid is into puzzles, mystery, or just feels like their friend group is shifting in weird ways, hand them this. It’s smart, it’s fast-paced, and it respects the reader’s intelligence. It’s the antithesis of brain rot.
Perfect for 4th through 8th graders. It's sophisticated enough that adults often read it and find themselves surprised by the twist, but the voice is pure middle-school.
It captures the messy, shifting dynamics of middle school friendships with total honesty. The protagonist, Miranda, navigates her mom's quirks and her own social mistakes in a way that feels emotionally mature and grounded.
The time-travel mechanics are handled with a precision that puts most blockbuster movies to shame. It uses a non-linear puzzle structure that invites the reader to play detective alongside the main character.
As a book, it's inherently free of digital traps. The plot involves a tragic traffic accident and some realistic middle-school punching, but it's handled with gravity rather than shock value.
It demands active reading. It explores the concept of 'the veil'—the idea that we often don't truly see the people around us—which is a high-level empathy lesson for kids hitting that self-centered pre-teen phase.
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