Book Summary
A Wrinkle in Time is a science fiction story that tests the limitations of time and space. The story begins with the main character Meg dealing with the fallout from the disappearance of her father, who many believe he ran away with another woman leaving his family behind, which consists of Meg's younger brother Charles Wallace who is a very intellegent boy, two twin brothers, and Meg's mother. The family receives a visit from a mysterious woman called Mrs. Whatsit and she mentions a tesseract, which Meg's mother recognizes as something related to her missing husband. Meg and Charles Wallace run into Calvin, a jock at Meg's school and they all run into Mrs. Whatsit again who explains to the three kids that the universe is threatened by an evil entity called the "Darkness" and that her father is still alive, but held captive by the Darkness.
This is where the science fiction comes in with Mrs. Whatsit's ability to bend time and space to transport any time and any where she pleases, so she transports the three children to a planet called Camazotz, which is under control of the Darkness. On this planet, the three children find the central control of the Darkness called IT and Charles Wallace believes he can fight the Darkness with his intelligence, since the IT controls other beings through implanting negative thoughts in their minds. Unfortunately, the IT wins over Charles Wallace, but Meg and Calvin find Meg's father and they all are able to escape with Meg's father's ability to tesseract and transport somewhere else.
Meg volunteers to go back to Camazotz to try and save Charles Wallace. IT also tries to control Meg with negative thoughts, but Meg discovers that IT's weakness is love. By reminding Charles Wallace of how much she loves him, she is able to break him free from the spell IT had on him and they are able to tesserect and escape. At the end, the whole family is back together on earth only five minutes since they all left because Mrs. Whatsit chose that time for them to return and reunite.
Reference
L'Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time. New York: Square Fish.
Impressions
This was a very exciting book for me primarily because I am personally interested in the science fiction genre and the concept of controlling time and space. Throughout the story, L'engle puts in scientific facts that bring a sense of reality to the story and the ability to tesseract. With the scientific backing, it seems that tesseracting could be possible with the progression of science, and it really gives the reader a feeling that there is so much more to the universe than our current knowledge of it. The ability to see and experience different worlds in our vast universe can draw in any reader interested in science fiction. After reading this book, it has made me want to read the rest of the series.
Professional Review
Paul, P. (2012, January 28). ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ and Its Sci-Fi Heroine. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/books/review/a-wrinkle-in-time-and-its-sci-fi-heroine.html
Library Uses
A good use for this book would be a bookclub for tweens that is based on STEM. STEM is a hot topic these days in libraries and in schools, and even though this book is science fiction, the book still has some interesting science facts in it.
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