A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle is a Newberry Award winning science fiction fantasy series chapter book. It is considered children's literature but engages audiences of all ages. The story is about a teenage girl, Margaret (better known as Meg), who is suffering from the loss of her father. She has not been told where he has gone but her mother keeps saying he will return soon. The reader only discovers things as Meg does, continuing the mystery throughout the quest she embarks on with her little brother, new friend Calvin, the three W's - who are each women but turn out to be something even more.

L'Engle does a fabulous job capturing the drama, mystery, and excitement that awaits on every page. As the reader, you want to know what happens next. With just enough information, L'Engle keeps you hooked and guessing until the very end. The story centers around growing up, family, and the battle of good and evil. Though Meg is awkward and troubled, she becomes brave and learns just how valuable she truly is in life by the end.

With the playful banter between the three W's - Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who, L'Engle creates memorable and likable characters. Their manner of speaking is charming as well as unique to their individual personalities. Within the first few pages, Meg and her brother Charles are old friends to the reader. The language is also appropriate for the time period and location, giving the book a timelessness. Her imagery is brilliant. I was able to taste the food and see the places they explore.

A quest tale with heart, A Wrinkle in Time keeps young audiences entertained with teleportation, mystery, magical creatures, different dimensions, and self discovery. Packed with meaningful quotes, L'Engle's sentiment is far from lacking. With the combination of great story telling, interesting plot line and beautiful writing, A Wrinkle in Time is a must read for young audiences that want to excel in their reading skills. L'Engle's style of writing is easy to comprehend but can be challenging to newer readers.

Meg, Charles, and Calvin are faced with many exciting characters - from a Medium to the Man with Red Eyes. With a happy ending, good prevails and Meg realizes that love is the greatest power of all. The powers of evil do not possess love like she, her family, and friends do. This gives them the conquering force to escape from IT, the dark power that exists.

A Wrinkle in Time also contains religious themes as well as scriptural references. It is also made known that the Murry family are religious and believe in the Christian Bible. I find this an interesting pairing with the science fiction genre. With descriptions and explanations of math, dimensional travel and scientific equations, I believe the primary genre of this book to be science fiction with bits of fantasy thrown in for a light-heartedness children can more easily understand. I think it is an excellent bridge for children to use to escalate their reading level. It is a tale both strong and sentimental.

Motivational activities:

*Losing a parent or loved one can be difficult in life. Have children write a story about a loss they've experienced like Meg experiences in A Wrinkle in Time by incorporating elements of fiction in their personal story. Reflecting on an upsetting situation in their life and turning into fiction can be therapeutic while also developing writing skills.

*Have students identify both a genre and a theme present in the story. Then have them discuss with other students how they came to this conclusion.

Reader Response questions:

1. Charles is different than his sister but similar to Calvin. Explain the way in which Charles differs from the other human characters in the book and how he is similar. 

2. Choose your favorite of the three W's and explain your decision. 

3. Name one of the central themes of A Winkle in Time and use examples from the text to prove your answer.

4. What is the ultimate power Meg possesses in order to defeat IT?

Further reading from Madeleine L'Engle, sequels:

*A Wind in the Door

*A Swiftly Tilting Planet

*Many Waters