<Tr> <Th> ISBN </Th> <Td> 978 - 0 - 385 - 73742 - 5 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> LC Class </Th> <Td> PZ7. S80857 WH 2009 </Td> </Tr> <P> When You Reach Me is a Newbery Medal - winning science fiction and mystery novel by Rebecca Stead, published in 2009 . It takes place in the Upper West Side in New York during 1978 and 1979 and follows the protagonist, Miranda Sinclair . She receives a strange note asking her to record future events and write down to the location of her spare key . As the novel progresses, Miranda receives three more notes with requests . The novel contains three story lines--the appearance of Miranda's mom on the game show, The $20,000 Pyramid, Miranda's best friend Sal suddenly not talking with Miranda, and the appearance of a laughing man . Central themes in the novel include independence, redemption and friendship . Stead also wanted to demonstrate the possibilities that she saw in time travel . The author hoped to show her children what New York was like in her childhood, and demonstrate how in an earlier time children were more independent . </P> <P> When You Reach Me was inspired by a man suffering from amnesia, and by parts of her childhood and her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time . After completing much of the novel, Stead gave the draft to her editor, Wendy Lamb, who liked it . They expanded on the initial concepts and published When You Reach Me on July 14, 2009, under Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House . The book was well received by critics, who praised its realistic setting and the author's deft handling of small details . The novel has reached the best - seller lists of The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and USA Today . In addition to receiving the 2010 Newbery Medal, When You Reach Me won several Best Book of the Year awards . </P>

What is the setting of when you reach me