Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Banned Books Week: A Wrinkle in Time

Hello All,

It's Banned Books Week, and I, like many other librarians, and all sorts of other readers, read banned books.

One of my favorite authors of all time is Madeleine L'Engle. My first favorite of hers was Meet the Austins, where I identified very strongly with the main character of Vicky Austin. I don't recall for sure, but I don't think I read A Wrinkle in Time until I was in college, as part of a children's literature class. I identified with the main character in this series too, Meg Murry, and I remember loving the time travel in the book and all the challenges that Meg, her friend Calvin O'Keefe, and her very brilliant young brother, Charles Wallace take on to save Meg's father, a scientist being held prisoner on a faraway planet.

It is my understanding that A Wrinkle in Time has been challenged due to its religious content, or for its un-Christian content--depending on who's challenging it. All I saw in this book was the love in the Murry family, and the inclusion of Calvin into that circle of love; Calvin comes from what we now call a dysfunctional family.

I highly recommend this book for its family orientation, its intelligence and its exciting adventures. I bet this will only be the beginning of your enjoyment of Madeleine L'Engle's books :). Enjoy, and read other Banned Books--you don't have to wait until next year's designated week--start now, and then you'll have books to talk about then!

Happy Reading!
Patti

6 comments:

Lesa said...

Patti,

Like you, the memory that stays with me is the strong love in those books. That, and a wrinkle is the shortest distance between two points!

Patti L said...

The wrinkle is the only math I've ever remotely understood :)!!!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Thanks again, Patti 0.

Barrie said...

I loved A Wrinkle in Time. And it sits, at this very moment, on our bookshelf, waiting for the next kid to pick it up and read. I think that would be my Child #3.

Debbie said...

I love Madeline L'engle. Anti-christian content. That always makes me laugh, as L'Engle was he "write in residence" at the church of St. John the Divine until she died last year.
Have you read her "Crosswicks Journals?"

Josette said...

I read this because I noticed it was in the banned books list! I saw nothing much wrong with the book, only a few religious mentions here and there. Why so much fuss over it?

This was a good book anyway. Wish I'd read it when I was a child. :) Here's my review.