Everyone in town thinks Meg Murry is volatile and dull-witted, and that her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumours and an unearthly stranger, the tesseract- touting Mrs Whatsit, Meg and Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time. This is no superhero tale, nor is it science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travellers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep within themselves to find answers.

A well-loved classic and 1963 Newbery Medal winner, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is sophisticated in concept yet warm in tone, with mystery and love coursing through its pages. Meg's shattering, yet ultimately freeing, discovery that her father is not omnipotent provides a satisfying coming-of-age element. Readers will feel a sense of power as they travel with these three children, challenging concepts of time, space and the triumph of good over evil. The companion books in the Time quartet, continuing the adventures of the Murry family, are A Wind in the Door; A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which won the American Book Award; and Many Waters. Every young reader should experience L'Engle's captivating, occasionally life-changing contributions to children's literature. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

When Charles Wallace Murry goes searching through a 'wrinkle in time' for his lost father, he finds himself on an evil planet where all life is enslaved by a huge pulsating brain known as 'It'. How Charles, his sister Meg and friend Calvin find and free his father makes this a very special and exciting mixture of fantasy and science fiction, which all the way through is dominated by the funny and mysterious trio of guardian angels known as Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which.

2004-06-21 An Engaging Fantasy Novel without magic!

This book starts with possibly the worst opening sentence of all time: 'It was a dark and stormy night.' However, the story that follows is both original and charming.
Meg and her younger brother Charles Wallace go in search of their beloved missing father, whose experiments have left him trapped in a parallel dimension. With the help of three mysterious witch-like characters they tesser (travel through a wrinkle in time) to rescue him, but face many dangers and adventures along the way.

Both Meg and Charles Wallace are endearing multi-faceted characters. I especially like the fact they are considered to be below normal intelligence by the educational system, yet undoubtedly have much higher IQs than their teachers. Both show the rare insight and depth of understanding granted to few ... and recognised by even fewer. This is a wonderfully empowering message to young readers who are made to feel less than adequate at school. The writing style has a clarity and simplicity that makes it a pleasure to read. Recommended for readers aged 8 - 11.