Twelve year old Miranda lives in a shabby apartment with her single Mom. It is 1979. Keeping safe on the streets of her New York City neighborhood seems easier than understanding the friends around her, even though she and her best friend Sal have to avoid a crazy man on their way to school. She is caught up in the confusions of shifting friendships – why won’t Sal play with her after he gets punched by a kid for no apparent reason and why has Julia turned cold to Annemarie?
Miranda is also worried about a note hidden under her bed. It seems to have foretold the invitation for Miranda’s mom to be a contestant on a game show. A number of notes written by an unknown person have appeared in odd places. In these tiny mysterious notes the writer seems to know more than she does about upcoming events. They imply that Miranda must help prevent a tragic death. Who is the victim and how can Miranda do anything about it? In this taut novel, every word, every sentence, has meaning and substance. The Newbery award committee called it finely crafted, exceptionally conceived, and highly original. I couldn’t agree more. ~Gretchen Echols
