I don’t usually reread children’s fantasy, but as I read one of Madeleine L’Engle’s memoirs, I decided to reread her most well-known novel, A Wrinkle in Time.

A Wrinkle in Time was rejected by a number of publishers before it was finally accepted and published in 1962. It subsequently won the 1963 Newbery medal. This is encouraging for all the rejected writers out there! If you believe in your work, keep submitting it!

I enjoyed reading A Wrinkle in Time as a teenager, and I enjoyed rereading it as an adult. Coming back to it, it surprised me how quick the story line moved and how short the overall book was. I guess that’s children’s fiction for you!

In A Wrinkle in Time, a stereotypical awkward teenager (Meg) must use her strengths (which she didn’t realize she had) to conquer evil. Meg, her brother, and her friend must rescue Meg’s dad, and they must travel through the universe to find him. It is an engaging good versus evil story, and the fantasy elements are so nicely woven in to the characters, the setting, and the storyline that I forget that Meg’s world isn’t the world as I know it today.

A Wrinkle in Time was rejected by publishers because the publishers considered it too “scary” for children (see A Circle of Quiet by L’Engle). To me, it addresses the elements children are already aware of: good versus evil, love versus hate, strength versus weakness. It’s a great story for children.

Did you like this book?

A Wrinkle in Time is the first in a series. I haven’t read the others. If you have read them, I’d be interested to hear what you think of them.