By: Madeleine L'Engle Publisher: Square Fish Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Square Fish Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 224 Publication Date: May 01, 2007 Reading Level: Ages 9-12 Release Date: May 01, 2007
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.
"Wild nights are my glory," the unearthly stranger told them. "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."
A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book. A Wrinkle in Time, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1963, is the story of the adventures in space and time of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O'Keefe (athlete, student, and one of the most popular boys in high school). They are in search of Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government on the tesseract problem.
A wonderful book!!! I was in 4th grade when my mom first forced me to read this book with her. I did not want to at all, because I thought it looked stupid. Luckily, she didn't give me much of a choice. If she had, I never would have read one of my favorite books or discovered one of my very favorite authors! Really, everyone should give this book a chance! I am now in my 20's and will soon be a teacher. It is a wonderful book that both boys and girls (and parents) will love! The next several are just as good! It is a one of the few books I have read that is truly appealing to all ages and sexes. It fully deserves its Newbery award!! :)
Emotionally gripping Somehow I missed reading this book as a child and recently read it on the recommendation of a friend. From page one this book grabbed me and pulled me in. I was so intrigued by the beautiful writing and almost tangible descriptions that I felt like I was standing beside Meg as the story unfolded. I felt Meg's fear. Her overwhelming love for her youngest brother and her entire family. Her innocence. Her strength. In fact, I was blown away by the plethora of emotions I felt. This book has become one of my all-time favorites. I highly recommend this timeless classic!
Madeleine L'Engle Did A Superb Job I have heard of the title of this book spoken before (couldn't remember when or where). But I passed by this book in the bookstore many times, even picked it up a couple of times. So, finally, one day I decided to stop passing it by, purchase it, and read the book. I'm glad I did.
This book has very strong characters, and Madeleine L'Engle developed them very well. I understood them and learned their personalities. Meg is the name of the lead character, and she is a teenager. She has troubles in school, and she is impatient, rash at times. But she is clearly a loving child and cares deeply about her family. Her brother's name is Charles Wallace, and at first, I felt Madeleine L'Engle made him almost unbelieveable, no young child of his age can be or talk like that (like they've been living in the world for 80 years). But I had to remember, this was a fiction novel, and you CAN create a little boy that is unbelieveable. Charles Wallace was very special, and eventually, he won me over. He became my favorite character. He was very much connected to Meg and his mother purposely. He clearly adored his big sister. And then there is Calvin, popular at school, fitting in well, but is different. To me, he was like a mixture of Meg and Charles Wallace together. He had something magical or special in him like Charles Wallace, but like Meg, he was trying to find his own way through the world, too, dealing with his own difficulties at home. He was better at it than Meg, though. Then there are the "stars", I call them, and I think they made the story sometimes funny and mostly interesting.
Madeleine L'Engle did a great job with imagery. Her words made it very easy for me to picture Camazotz, the haunted house, and Meg's own home. Really, every place the children went, I had a clear picture in my mind. I didn't have to wonder what she was trying to get me to see. The writing was perfect, and I appreciated that I could follow with my own imagination without much difficulty.
I really liked how religion, magic, and science are just mixed in to this book, as well. I believe it is very difficult to write a book that has all three of these elements in it, and have it flow without each one disproving the other. It was like you need the science to travel to these magical places that has scientific names, and you need the religion to help you through these magical places. In our own real life, the three doesn't really go together. Science is suppose to be practical. Magic is suppose to be fantasy, not tangible, and religion is suppose to teach belief and faith.
Overall, Madeleine L'Engle did a superb job. I found it a breath of fresh air, in its own way very brave, and right on point (creates a wonderful escape from the real world). I really enjoyed it, and I am glad to have read it.
Thank you.
Okay by Today's Standards This is considered a classic by many and, in its time, perhaps it was the best thing out there for children. However, this genre has exploded of late and Wrinkle would probably have a hard time being published today. Sure, after some major editing it would likely hit the shelves, yet I shouldn't think it would ever become a best-seller. I haven't dwelled on the characters at all since finishing the book. (This, to me, is the real test of a good book--I still ponder what Meggie from Inkheart, Bilbo Baggins, Harry Potter and Charlie Bucket are up to lately). I also found myself liking the supporting characters--that clever little brother and the three aliens--more than our leading lady. All in all, still an okay work.
Fantastic work This book is a journey into the depths of the imagination which will be real and captivating for a child between 7 and 12, although you will enjoy it just as much as an adult (the themes are well developed). I sincerely recommend the evocative imagery around Camazotz - the land of conformity. It was originally rejected from many publishers as being too different. Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which are the wise heads who guide the children in their battle against IT.
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