Category Archives: Kid-Lit/Middle Grade

Review: We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March by Cynthia Levinson

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  • Hardcover: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (February 1, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1561456276
  • Source: Publisher

Many of us have basic details about the Birmingham Children’s March in 1963 in which 4,000 students boycotted school in a march to protest segregation. Yet never before have we stepped inside the shoes of those students who stepped up to fight for rights which should have been guaranteed but were not.

We’ve Got a Job follows the stories of four children who participated in the march. Nine-year-old Audrey Hendricks was the youngest to participate. Her parents stood behind her decision, as did her teachers and close friends. Washington (Wash) Booker grew up among poverty and a strong fear of the police. It wasn’t uncommon for parents to threaten their children, ordering them to behave or “the police are gonna come and get you.” James Stewart was an excellent student, opting not to let the color of his skin determine how well he did in school. He lived in a large house with a pool, his parents were lucky enough to have successful jobs. Arnetta Streeter had light skin and could have passed as white, but instead went so far as to attend young activist training so she could stand fight to end segregation. She grew up being called names due to the light color of her skin, even by other black children. Her desire for change was so strong that she started a club at school called the Peace Ponies. Among the stories of these young, brave, individuals, readers get a glimpse of other powerful individuals from both sides of the battle lines  involved in this fight, from Martin Luther King, Jr to Reverend Shuttlesworth and Bull Connor.

Breaking up the text are large black and white photos that allow readers to visualize the intensity of this battle, from the fear in the eyes of those individuals being attacked by police to the shrouded faces of the Ku Klux Klan. Detailed sidebars heighten the intensity, adding even more information to this detail-rich chronicle of a pivotal time in our nation’s history. Words cannot express how moved I was by this book. This is a title that should be added to curriculum in schools around the country so that it may educate and inspire this generation of children to work for further change not just in our own country but world-wide.

I chose to read this book with my boys. Justin is seven, just two years younger than the youngest student in this march. At this point in his schooling, while he he has learned about the great acts of Martin Luther King, Jr., his curriculum hasn’t delved into the deeper and more dark aspects of that time period. He was shocked and horrified to learn of the treatment of children his own age, the crimes that be committed against blacks without fear of punishment from the authorities (and in some cases, at the hands of authorities). So gracious that he will never have to endure this treatment, I still felt it was important for him to learn at an early age just how far our country has come.  John-John is thirteen and well-informed about this pivotal time in our nation’s history. Still, he was unfamiliar with the Children’s March and was devastated to learn about what those young children went through to stand up for what they believed in.  Given the fact that we are a biracial family, I felt it was important that the boys understand just how lucky we are and appreciate just how much those before us did in order to guarantee the freedoms we now have.

Highly, highly recommended.

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Frightful Friday: Lovecraft Middle School-Professor Gargoyle & The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman

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Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week.

This week, I’m pleased to welcome my oldest son, John-John, for a special review of the first two books in the Lovecraft Middle School series, Professor Gargoyle and The Slither Sisters:

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Okay, when I started middle school I knew things were going to be a little weird. My experience couldn’t compare to seventh-grader Robert Arthur’s experience at Lovecraft Middle School.

In the first book, Professor Gargoyle, Robert finds himself assigned to Lovecraft Middle School in the south part of town While all his friends were assigned to attend another middle school. His mom raved about the school, talking about all the great technology and the fact that it was built using all recycled material. What makes it worse is that when he walks into school on the first day, Robert runs into Glenn Torkells, the bully who tormented him in middle school. Could it get any worse? Definitely.

On the first day, students find rats running down the halls and in the classroom. His science teacher, Professor Gargoyle, is a bit odd. Robert gets lost (literally lost, not just losing track of time or getting lost in a book) in the school library. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg.  Within the first few days of school Robert discovers his mother was right; Lovecraft Middle School isn’t your average middle school. The story (and secrets!) behind the school are far darker and deadlier than can possibly be imagined.

In the second book, The Slither Sisters, after barely escaping the creatures that lie waiting in Lovecraft Middle School, Robert discovers that two of his classmates, twins Sarah and Sylvia Price, are actually horrible and hideous monsters in disguise. If that isn’t bad enough, one of them is running for Student Council President, determined to take control of the school.  Once again Robert and his “unique” best friends, the strange group of heroes must put an end to their campaign and prevent the monsters from taking control of his middle school.

Ok, so let’s start out with the covers. I admit, a cover of a book can persuade me to read a book. These books are holograms! At first, the faces on the covers look like normal people but when you walk past the book or tilt it at an angle, you see the true image of these horrid monsters! Awesome, right?

It doesn’t stop there, though. I’m a middle-schooler and I found myself relating to Robert’s character. Although he’s in middle school, he hasn’t gone through a growth spurt or his voice hasn’t changed like the other kids. He pretty much looks the same as he did in elementary school. This is the second selling point for me: I can relate to the main character.

Thirdly: Man, is this book spooky!  I don’t typically like spooky or scary stories like my mom and younger brother do. But something about these stories allowed me to overlook these feelings. I think it has something to do with the things I list above: the epic covers and a character I understand. Without telling you too much, the middle school Robert attends is built using the materials of a mansion that burned to the ground years ago. A mansion that was home to a pretty evil guy who performed some pretty crazy experiments. Using the materials of this supposedly haunted house allows the creatures that once roamed the mansion to now walk the halls of Lovecraft Middle School. And I thought some of my teachers were monsters!! But what I like about these books most of all is that Robert, a pretty uninteresting, normal kid winds up being the hero. Who doesn’t love a story like that!?

Best of all is that there are more books in this series that focus on some of the other creatures of Lovecraft Middle School! I have the third one, Teacher’s Pest, already even though it doesn’t come out until May. Mom says I need to wait a little longer before I review it but trust me, you are going to want to read all three books in one sitting.

Ok, Mom says I should also mention that although this series is set in a middle school, kids younger than that age can read and enjoy these books as well. Like my brother, Justin, for example. When these books arrived we had to wrestle to see who got to read them first! I won’t say who won….

So, I hope I made you want to read these books. I plan on donating my copies to my middle school so that other students can read them. THANKS!

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Tales of a (Formerly) Reluctant Reader: The Fellowship for Alien Detection by Kevin Emerson

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Tales of a (formerly) Reluctant Reader is a feature in which my thirteen year old son, John (a formerly reluctant reader) shares this thoughts on books geared toward reluctant readers. The review below is entirely his own with no alterations other than corrections in spelling.

  • Age Range: 8 and up
  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Walden Pond Press (February 26, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062071858
  • Source: Publisher

Haley a pretty normal teenage girl living with her family in Connecticut. All of her friends are looking forward to spending their summers going off to fun camps. Haley’s plans are a bit different; she plans on spending the summer driving around the country with her very supportive parents, investigating the disappearances of several people thanks to a grant from a mysterious research foundation. There’s more than just missing persons, though. Around the same time they go missing, the towns they live in undergo a lapse of time in which they don’t remember what happened. Sixteen minutes are lost with no explanation. Haley uncovers a group of people referred to as We are the Missing,who claim to have experiences with alien abduction.

Dodger lives in Washington and, like Haley, is awarded a grant to investigate the unusual. Unlike Haley, he doesn’t really have a supportive family and is always trying to get the approval of his father. Haley and Dodger meet when the foundation supporting their research mission calls everything off when things get too dangerous. Haley and Dodger soon become the ones investigated, instead of the ones investigating. They are the only ones who can find out the truth about these disappearances and must do so before they too go missing!

Wow…was this an intense book! Normally, I’m not really in to alien abductions or anything spooky like that but this book changed my mind! From the very beginning, the story grabbed my attention. It was almost as if I was watching a movie rather than reading a book!  One of the things I really liked about the book were the two main characters, a boy and a girl. Both Haley & Dodger were very interesting people, Dodger maybe more than Haley because he heard voices. But because there is both a boy and a girl character, I think this book would be interesting to both boys and girls my age.

Also, the journey the two go on is pretty sweet! All-expense paid two week vacation!? Yes please! The investigations they go on are pretty intense so this also almost feels like a mystery as well. Maybe a sci-fi mystery? In any case, I’m going to be telling all my friends about this book! Now I need to come up with an exciting way to spend my summer vacation!

Guess what! My mom says that one lucky reader of this blog can win a copy of this book. Awesome, right? To enter, just fill out this form below. The winner will be emailed by my Mom on Friday, March 15. Tell all your friends about this giveaway! Trust me, you don’t want to pass this up!

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Guest Review: Surfing with Turtles: Bindi Wildlife Adventures by Bindi Irwin

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  • Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  • Paperback: 112 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (March 5, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 1402280947
  • Source: Publisher

Bindi Irwin is the thirteen-year-old daughter of wildlife conservationists Steve and Terri Irwin. Although her father passed away a few years ago while working with wildlife, his life-long passion, Bindi and her brother continue his legacy.

In Surfing With Turtles, the eight book in the Bindi Wildlife Adventures series, a host of young readers are introduced to an exciting wildlife adventure with Bindi and friends. Off the coast of Mexico and California, Bindi and her American friend Kelly are on a surf-ari, catching some pretty amazing waves along the way.  One day, a green sea turtle joins them while surfing. The two girls learn about a volunteer turtle restoration team and are given the opportunity to participate themselves in a night watch to protect the turtle nests from poachers.  It is then they see a fellow surfer acting strangely, disturbing a nest of green sea turtles. Bindi realizes he has more than surfing on his mind and decides to keep an eye on him. Her instincts are correct; Bindi is able to prevent the man from transporting a captured animal across the border!

I am excited to have the opportunity to review this book with my youngest soon, Justin. At seven years old, Justin is an avid reader. When I was pitched this book for review, I enjoyed having the opportunity to read this book with him. Our family has been fans of Bindi since she first appeared on her father’s show at just three years old! Over the years, we have enjoyed watching her grow up and continue her father’s great work.

Following are Justin’s thoughts on the book, followed by mine. Other than correcting his spelling, the following review is Justin’s in its entirety:

Hello everyone! My Mom said I should tell you if I liked this book or not. I DID! Bindi is a little girl who goes on adventures, learning about animals I have only seen at the zoo. Even though she is a girl, she is fun because she does things that girls in my class would never do. Like in this book, she picks up a snake with her own hands! Also, she goes surfing and even though a wave crashes into her, she doesn’t freak out and just knows what to do.  I also really liked this book because it sort of had a mystery to it. I wanted to know what the bad surfer guy was going to do next. I also learned a lot about sea turtles and how to protect them. I really think you should read this book, if you are a boy or a girl. I really liked it and want to read more about Bindi’s adventures.

My review:

Like Justin, I appreciated reading about a little girl who was strong and able to step outside of what is expected of a young girl. She’s witty, intelligent, and has a great sense of humor. Her excitement about animal conservation helps educate children her age and younger about what can be done to protect the wildlife around us.  While this book is geared for children ages seven and up, I do believe some of the language is a bit above that age level. Fortunately, I was able to read it alongside Justin and provide him an explanation of what some of the terms meant. So, with the caveat that the book be read with a parent, I do agree with the age range used to describe this book. Overall, I do think it would be an excellent addition to any home or school library. Like Justin, I look forward to reading more of Bindi’s adventures!

Did you know that BINDI WILDLIFE ADVENTURES series donates a portion of all proceeds to the Australia Zoo Conservation Projects? Each book is a new adventure for Wildlife Warrior Bindi Irwin and a chance for children to experience new places and new ideas.

Bindi is starring in Return to Nim’s Island, based on the Nim books by Australian author Wendy Or.  The movie will premiere in the U.S. this March on the Hallmark Channel and will be available on DVD March 19.

 

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Mx3 Review: The Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide by Stacey Graham

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  • Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (May 1, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 140226612X
  • Source: Publisher

With Halloween just around the corner and weekend sleepovers are being planned, the topics of ghost stories and the supernatural are certain to be raised. The Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide is a must-have item for any teen or pre-teen’s sleepover preparedness kit!

Starting with information about the existence of spirits, the science behind ghosts, The Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide is a witty and entertaining novel chock-full of information.  It provides tips for fans of the supernatural of all levels. Interested in writing a ghost story? Graham provides excellent tips and an outline for doing so. For extreme fans of the supernatural and ghost-hunting, she provides tips on forming a ghost-hunting team from the sort of individuals and roles that should be included to designing your ghost hunting team logo.

Interspersed throughout the novel are stories of urban legends and interviews with actual female ghost hunters to get readers in the supernatural mood. Fun recipes, quizzes, and more round out the fun. While obviously targeted for girls, I think this is certainly a book that would appeal to boys (if they can get over the pink cover & cutesy ghost).

Bottom line: The Girls’ Ghost Hunting Guide is a must-have addition to the library of any young middle-grade or teen. Highly recommended.

 

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Mx3 Review: Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy

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Today I’m pleased to welcome my thirteen-year-old son, John, for a guest review. As you may have seen my seven-year-old, Justin, reviewed a book earlier this week. Of course his older brother had to get in on the action! The review that follows is John’s in its entirety.

  • Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  • Hardcover: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1 edition (July 3, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 159990836
  • Source: Author

Lilah Bloom is a normal twelve-year-old girl. Things change when, attending her mom’s wedding, she gets struck by lightening. When she wakes up she can hear voices. At first she thinks she’s losing her mind but soon realizes it is the voices of the dead that are popping into her head. The first she hears is that of her grandmother, Bubby Dora, a woman that isn’t afraid to voice her opinion. Bubby is worried about Lilah’s dad who still hasn’t gone out on a date even though his ex-wife has gotten married. Bubby becomes obsessed with making Lilah’s father attractive to the opposite sex and making sure his life is happy.

Lilah has a lot on her mind already. She has a crush on Andrew Finkel but afraid to do anything about it. She’s helped when Andrew’s dad, who passed away recently, makes his presence known. Joined by Bubby, Andrew’s dad, and a bunch of other spirits, Lilah gets the courage to go to the seventh-grade dance with Andrew.

Ok, you may notice that I am a boy and this book is about a girl. That actually never made a difference to me when I agreed to review this book for my mom’s blog. I’ve never had a problem really reading books with girl characters. The only thing I say no to are princess books. I have to draw the line somewhere, right?

My point is that this doesn’t feel like a girl book. Lilah is obviously a girl but I didn’t really notice, you know? I mean, there were parts that were a little…awkward…like when she goes shopping for bras. Yikes. Other than that, though, her being a girl really wasn’t obvious.

This was a really fun book to read. Lilah is a pretty hilarious girl who is going through a lot of things kids my age are going through like bullies, school, dating…you know, teen stuff. So when she starts to hear voices, that sort of stresses her out a bit. It would me, too. If I started hearing voices I might think I was going crazy!  What helps is that Lilah isn’t afraid to tell her friends about her new gift. Overall, they are pretty supportive and understanding, which is pretty awesome.

So, this is a fun book to read if you want something with a touch of the supernatural, but it is definitely a book that can be read any time of the year. I think anyone my age would enjoy reading this, girl or boy!

 

 

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Mx3 Review: Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie by Francesca Simon

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  • Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  • Paperback: 112 pages
  • Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (September 1, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1402277377
  • Source: Publisher

Today I’m pleased to welcome my youngest son, Justin, as a guest reviewer. Justin is seven years old and an avid reader. The review that follows is his in its entirety:

My big brother John used to read Horrid Henry books when he was a little bit younger. When my Mom told me I was old enough to try to read them, I was very happy. Especially when I saw that this book was about a monster movie. I like monster movies and scary things like my Mom. My brother doesn’t so it is probably a good thing that I am reviewing this and not him.

Anyway, this book is made up of four stories, the first about a monster movie that Horrid Henry and his friends want to make. They hear about this super scary movie that they all want to see but when they do see it, it’s not scary at all. So they decide to make their own videos. They are so obsessed with making their own movies and nothing else. This is bad because they end up destroying the video cameras so no monster movie for them!  I think this was my favorite story because it was about a monster movie called The Vampire Zombie Werewolf. Too bad the movie was bad because that is a very good title. The movie actually sounded a lot like it was making fun of Twilight which is pretty awesome.

My other favorite story wasHorrid Henry’s Grump Card. Basically, Horrid Henry is always in trouble and he never earns Grump Cards, which are rewards for good behavior. My brother says I’m a lot like Horrid Henry because I get in trouble a lot. That is true sometimes but most of the time I’m a pretty good kid so I would definitely earn Grump Cards.  Anyway, Henry is made because he doesn’t have any Grump Cards, so he tricks his brother Perfect Peter, into trading him the cards for playing with him. The Grump Cards can be used to get out of anything: doing chores, watching TV, talking bad to your parents so obviously Henry wants a lot of these. So, he gets them and uses them until he runs out. The bad thing is he runs out right after doing something he should of, so he gets punished even more! This is what happens when you trick someone to do something!

I think these stories are pretty fun. I especially like to read about what sort of trouble Henry gets in (and no, John, not because I want to do them myself!). If Henry was a smart kid he would learn a lesson from all of this and not get in trouble, but he doesn’t. So, to normal kids like me, the stories teach a great lesson about what NOT to do.

The only thing I didn’t like about the book was how Henry treated his parents. He told them to shut up a lot. This is a bad word in our house. Mom says I’m allowed to say it because I’m talking about it happening in a book. Hopefully, other kids won’t read this and think they can say it!

My mom asked me if I would tell my friends about his book and I definitely will. The stories are nice and short, the drawings are funny, and they make it fun to read! So buy it please!

Thank you, Justin!  Yes, I agree with his statement about the way Henry treats this parents. Luckily, my boys have a bit more respect, but this aspect of the story would be a great teachable moment for kids reading along with their parents. Bottom line, our entire family as a whole are huge fans of Horrid Henry! It’s great to see my youngest son picking up where my oldest left off!

 

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Mx3 Review: All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

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  • Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Sandpiper; Reprint edition (August 17, 2009)
  • ISBN-10: 054724878
  • Source: Personal Copy

Twelve-year-old Travis and his sister Corey are sent to spend their summer vacation with their grandmother at her Vermont inn, Fox Hill.  When they hear that the inn is haunted, but hasn’t experienced any supernatural activity in some time, they begin to plot ways to scare up the guests, adding a bit of excitement to their summer. Their grandmother, despite owning the inn for some time, doesn’t believe in all the rumors and prefers to spend her days ensuring her guests have a relaxing stay.

Things change when the children’s antics awaken the ghost of Ada Jaggs, a very angry and vengeful spirit. Ada oversaw the property during the 1800s in its former life as a poor farm. She tormented families, specifically children, who were sent to work on the form. The activity also awakens the spirits of the children who were so poorly abused under Ada’s care, ultimately dying at her hand. Travis & Corey soon realize their plan has spun out of control; guests are leaving mid-stay, replaced by “ghost hunters” set on publicizing the activity. They must put an end to the evil Ada and help the children she’s tortured rest in peace. But to do so, they must visit Ada’s grave and retrieve the item that holds Ada’s power…

Downing Hahn is known for her chilling children’s ghost stories and an author I discovered when I was my oldest son’s age. It’s been wonderful to share these books with them, reading them aloud with only a flashlight to guide us through the pages. What I truly respected about this one in particular was that it isn’t simply a ghost story, it also educates readers about the past and some of the lesser-known history of our country.

My boys in particular loved how the antics of the ghost children reflected an paralleled those of Travis and Corey. My youngest son said “Even though they are ghosts, they are still little kids!” So true! The J-Crew officially endorses this book, as well as all of Mary Downing Hahn’s ghost stories! Highly recommended.

 

 

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Frightful Friday: Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones by Christopher Krovatin

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Frightful Friday is a weekly meme in which I feature a particularly scary or chilling book that I’ve read that week. This week, I’m featuring a book reviewed by my oldest son, John-John: Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones by Christopher Krovatin!

  • Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (September 11, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0062077406
  • Source: Publisher

A group of middle school students head to a week-long camp in Montana called Homeroom Earth. They are there to study plants and wildlife in a natural setting.  Early on, they are warned not to leave the watchful eyes of the teacher. But, like many kids their age, they don’t listen.

Ian is a jock who wants to be popular and liked by everyone. PJ is obsessed with movies, always with a video camera in hand. Kendra is a techie geek, warned by her parents to socialize with people in real life instead of those on the dozens of message boards she follows. Ian and PJ are friends, though Ian denies this because he is afraid of being made fun of. Kendra’s not really friends with anyone…anyone at her school at least. The three are forced to work together as a group and start their camping trip by collecting wildflowers. Ian sees an animal in the distance and begins chasing after it. PJ and Kendra follow and it’s not long before they realize they are lost. Kendra just lost her cell phone so she can’t use the technology she’s grown used to to find their way back to camp.

After hiking for hours, crossing a pretty mysterious looking wall, they come across an abandoned cabin. They think they are safe but they couldn’t be further from the truth. Inside, they find a strange journal telling the story of another group, long reported missing. The entries they read are terrifying, quickly dying off before they can get any answers. In the basement, they find a set of human bones. Then, outside, they see a rambling group of what looks like to be people. They think they’ve been rescued but are startled to see that the group walking toward them are actually…zombies!

For two days Ian, PJ, and Kendra run from the zombies, looking for a witch they read about in the journal, a witch that should be their salvation.

John-John’s Review:

I admit it; I tend to be a bit of a wimp when it comes to read anything involving zombies, ghosts….anything that’s not normal. My mom loves this sort of stuff. She has a whole bookshelf filled with scary books. But, she read this book before I did, promising that I wouldn’t be too scared so I gave it a chance.

When I started reading, I thought the three main characters were going to live up to all the rumors about jocks and nerds. I admit, I may have rolled my eyes a few times. Soon, though, my feelings changed. While Ian was a jock, he wasn’t really rude or mean. Kendra was a bit annoying at first: she doesn’t like to be wrong (ever!) and likes to use a bunch of big words. The real nerd, in my opinion, was PJ. Not a part of the cool crowd but not really a full-blown nerd, he was the one that I liked the most. It didn’t seem like he had a very active part in the story, other than filming nearly everything that happened. In the end, though, he was the one who saved the others. Finally, a story where the nerd saves the day!!

While there were parts where they story was a bit scary (hello, zombies!) I think the author did a great job of keeping the scare-factor under control. This makes this book a perfect read for someone who wants to read about zombies but not get too scared. Also, since the story is told by the three kids, I think a lot of kids will connect and enjoy this book. Finally I can say I read a book about zombies (and I didn’t have a single nightmare!)

Apparently this is the first book in a new series. I can’t wait to read more!

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Reuniting With A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle

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This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of a book that forever changed my reading experience: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Rather than write a review of this truly epic book, I will instead share my personal experience in reading this book.

It’s not often that I make this claim, but I sincerely believe that this book and I were meant to find one another. Over twenty years ago, I picked up and read A Wrinkle in Time for the first time. My main reason for picking it up was it’s status on several banned book lists. Never a true rebel, my rebellion was expressed through the reading of books banned from my own school library. These books include Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1984, and many, many others.

The main character, Meg Murray was a fairly average little girl. Not overtly beautiful, but not hideously ugly either. She was an unremarkable girl who does something remarkable. For me, this character gave me the strength to never give up, to strive for my highest goals, to never give up. Meg used traits and gifts that she naturally possessed in order to save her father, and ultimately her younger brother, from the grasp of a dark being, referred to as IT.  Let me tell you how huge it was for me, a shy, quiet, nerdy-girl to read a book like this.  A book that wasn’t the typical (no offense) Sweet Valley High or Babysitter’s Club books that seemed to be the only books available for girls my age. I hungered for a book that was more than the light teen fare available at that time. A Wrinkle in Time was that book, a book that made me think, made me hope, made me dream.

A Wrinkle in Time also introduced me to the unknown world of science fiction. Who knew time travel could be so thrilling?  A Wrinkle in Time was one of the few books in the science fiction genre featuring a strong female character, a trait I found rewarding as a young, shy girl. One of my favorite passages, by far, was one in which the children’s lives were compared to a sonnet: “A strict form, but freedom within it.”  One of the adults within the story states: “You’re given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you.” This is a phrase that I have held dear my entire life, one that changed my outlook on life, giving me the strength and the power to rise out of my shell and assert myself.

Since it has been nearly two decades since I read A Wrinkle in Time for the first time, I gladly accepted a copy of the 5oth Anniversary edition for review. As soon as I read the first line (“It was a dark and stormy night”) I was transported to my youth, recalled reading this book, hiding under the covers, a small flashlight the only illumination that permitted me to read. I’m no psychic, but reading that first line, I knew I was in for a truly engaging read.

Reading this book again, over two decades later, I found myself reminiscing books like this, real coming-of-age books that have lasting impact. I can count on one hand books that affected me this profoundly. I wish I would have continued with this series and the characters that influenced me so greatly. While I missed out on this, I don’t plan on letting this happen with my boys. While they might not relate to the characters like I did, I do want to introduce them to the book and devour the series alongside them.

L’Engle’s story touched on issues I was ignorant of during my first reading; the symbolism she uses isn’t outright obvious but something I quickly picked up, reading as an adult: Good versus evil, freedom of choice, the beauty within. Never could I have imagined enjoying this book any more than I did as a child, but reading this book, as an adult, as a mother, I see a completely new beauty within.

Before I close, I’d be remiss not to mention some of the bonus materials contained within the 50th Anniversary commemorative edition of A Wrinkle in Time.  They include:

•       Frontispiece photo*†
•       Photo scrapbook with approximately 10 photos*†
•       Manuscript pages*†
•      Letter from 1963 Caldecott winner, Ezra Jack Keats*†
•       New introduction by Katherine Paterson, US National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature  †
•       New afterword by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter Charlotte Voiklis including six never-before-seen photos †
•       Murry-O’Keefe family tree with new artwork †
•       Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery acceptance speech

* Unique to this edition                † never previously published

For more information about this special 50th Anniversary celebration, please visit the official A Wrinkle in Time Facebook page!

 

What book from your childhood was most memorable for you?

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