A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quintet. It is a science fiction book with some elements of mystery. The story is about a girl, Meg, who has not heard from her father since he disappeared on a government mission. She seems to be struggling without his presence, only focusing on classes they bonded over like math and science. Meg has a hard time making friends as she is an opinionated young middle schooler. Her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is a child prodigy who also is “socially awkward” compared to others. One day on the way back from school, they meet another kid named Calvin who is older than Meg. They are visited by Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which,  beings from another dimension that Meg’s father is lost in. These beings take Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin into the 5th dimension to find their father. 

This book experiments with time travel and scientific theories like the 5th dimension. However, it is not the average science fiction story. The tale gets quite deep and emotional at times when the characters go through their family issues. It is relatively simple to understand, however, it can be complicated once they describe “tessering” (traveling between space and time in dimensions). Overall I would give this book a 7/10. It was interesting but the pacing of the book seemed a bit off. I did not feel that there was enough time spent during the “final battle” and the conclusion seemed rushed. But I would recommend this book for sixth graders who enjoy complex science fiction.

-Janna G.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Libby.