She was reminded of a strange old man, dubbed the 'laughing man,' who lived near her apartment as a child. While the news story initially inspired Stead, she also tied in parts of her childhood into the novel. Someone might finish the book and then go right back and start again, reading so closely that she or he would spot any inconsistency. 'All along, the goal was to be certain that the logic would stand up to the merciless scrutiny of a smart kid.

Upon reading the article, Stead wondered if somehow the man had returned to the past to prevent an accident but lost his memory along the way. However, when he and Penny were reunited, the man found out she was only his fiancée - and they had no children. Under hypnosis, he spoke about his apparent wife, Penny, and two daughters who died in a car crash. Many people worked with the man to help him regain his memory. The article was about a man who woke up in Denver suffering from amnesia, having forgotten who he was or why he was there. Stead began writing When You Reach Me in 2007 after an article in The New York Times gave her an idea for a novel about traveling in time to save someone's life. In addition to receiving the 2010 Newbery Medal, When You Reach Me won several Best Book of the Year awards. The novel reached the best-seller lists of The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and USA Today. The book was well received by critics, who praised its realistic setting and the author's deft handling of small details. Together, 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. After completing much of the novel, Stead gave the draft to her editor, Wendy Lamb. When You Reach Me was inspired by a story Stead read about a man suffering from amnesia, by parts of her childhood, and by her favorite book as a kid, A Wrinkle in Time. Important characters in the story include Miranda's mother Richard, her mom's good-natured boyfriend Sal, Miranda's childhood best friend and a homeless man who lives on Miranda's block and is referred to only as 'the laughing man.' Central themes in the novel include independence, redemption, and friendship.

At the same time, Miranda juggles school, relationships with her peers, and helping her mom prepare to be on the game show The $20,000 Pyramid. After Miranda finds a strange note, which is unsigned and addressed only to 'M,' in her school library book, a mystery is set into motion-one which Miranda ultimately must face alone. It takes place on the Upper West Side of New York during 19 and follows a sixth-grade girl named Miranda Sinclair.

When You Reach Me is a Newbery Medal-winning science fiction and mystery novel by Rebecca Stead, published in 2009.

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