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Rebecca Stead

レベッカ・ステッド

Rebecca Stead

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1968-01-16 （New York City, US）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York City, US

Career

Occupations
Writer, Former public defender / lawyer
Active Years
2007-

Education

Vassar College
Degree: Bachelor's degree
Period: 1985–1989
Year of Graduation: 1989
Country: United States
Received bachelor's degree in 1989

Awards

Newbery Medal
2010
Work: When You Reach Me
Organization: Association for Library Service to Children (American Library Association)
Result: Winner
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
2013
Work: Liar & Spy
Organization: The Guardian
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

First Light

2007 Children's / Young adult fiction

Debut novel focusing on family, friendship and coming-of-age themes for younger readers.

friendshipfamilycoming-of-age

When You Reach Me

2009 Children's fiction / mystery with science-fiction elements 192 pages

Set in 1970s New York, the novel blends friendship, coming-of-age and a mysterious, time-related puzzle as the protagonist receives strange notes that lead to uncovering a surprising truth.

friendshipgrowing uptime and causalitymystery
Translations
  • When You Reach Me (translated editions available)

Liar & Spy

2012 Children's fiction / mystery

A story about boys, friendship and secrets that uncovers anxieties hidden in everyday life; combines tense plotting with humor.

friendshipsecretstrust

Goodbye Stranger

2015 Young adult / friendship and coming-of-age

An ensemble young-adult novel about adolescent friendships, betrayal and forgiveness, told through multiple perspectives.

friendshipgrowing upforgiveness

The List of Things That Will Not Change

2020 Children's fiction / family

A child faces family changes and seeks the comforting constants that remain the same.

familycoping with changesecurity

The Experiment

2025 Young adult / speculative fiction

(2025) A young-adult novel with speculative/social elements; details vary by edition.

technology and ethicsidentity

Bibliography

  • First Light (2007)
  • When You Reach Me (2009)
  • Liar & Spy (2012)
  • Goodbye Stranger (2015)
  • The List of Things That Will Not Change (2020)
  • The Experiment (2025)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Concise, precise prose that attends closely to characters' inner livesCombines humor with quiet emotional observation
Recurring Motifs
friendship and trustmoments of growing upmysteries hidden in ordinary life

Legacy

Rebecca Stead has earned acclaim for tightly crafted, emotionally resonant children's and young-adult fiction. She won the 2010 Newbery Medal for When You Reach Me and the 2013 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for Liar & Spy, gaining international recognition. Her careful plotting and attention to everyday detail have been praised by readers and critics alike.

In Popular Culture

  • When You Reach Me ranked among top chapter books in a School Library Journal poll

Quotes

  • “Every scene, every nuance, every word is vital both to character development and the progression of the mystery.”
    Source: Association for Library Service to Children (Newbery Medal citation) (2010)

Trivia

  • Before becoming an author she worked as a public defender.
  • Won the 2010 Newbery Medal for When You Reach Me.
  • Won the 2013 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for Liar & Spy and was the first winner from the United States.
  • Resides on the Upper West Side of New York City.