A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle's great work A Wrinkle in Time is my banned/challenged book for the day. It amazes me that this book is challenged. Just because there is a fantastical element to it, some kids are missing out on this book. My mom used to read this to us when my sister and I were very small (we read the whole trilogy). I couldn't quite grasp the idea of a tesseract. I reread it in high school and noticed so much more.

This work is about an awkward girl, Meg, who doesn't do well in school (except for math) and her genius brother, Charles Wallace, who doesn't fit in. Their father disappears and they go on a quest to find him, taking along a gangly jock called Cal. I don't think there is an age limit on this book and I definitely consider it one of my all-time favorites.

It makes me so sad to think that some children are unable to check this book out at their library. Well, the whole idea of banning books disappoints me, but the challenging of this one especially disturbs me. This work deals with values and ideas that are intrinsic to our society: familial love, being an outsider, keeping your individuality, etc.

Madeline L'Engle has written many more books than this, but this is really her best, I think. Please go to your library and check it out. Read it or re-read it. It is definitely worth it.

Other L'Engle books to check out:
Many Waters - Meg's twin brothers Sandy and Dennys go on a journey of their own.
An Acceptable Time - Meg's daughter Polly time-travels. Sort-of.
A Live Coal in the Sea - not part of the Murry saga. Camilla (from Camilla) is older and wiser and reflects back on her life.