This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of A Wrinkle in Time, which won the Newbery medal back in 1963. Looking at the book through a twenty-first century lens, some parts of Madeleine L’Engel’s book do seem a bit old-fashioned, but the story line about time travel and the theme of goodness overcoming evil is still quite good and thought-provoking. Best of all, we are introduced to spunky Meg Murphy, one of the first female protagonist to appear in a juvenile science fiction novel. Meg is good at math and science, is headstrong and independent, and even considered a bit of a troublemaker, all traits that help her defeat evil and darkness in another time and place in order to save her family. If you want to read a more modern story about time travel, try When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, which also won the Newberry, but almost 50 years later. It takes place in the late 1970s so it could be considered a historical fiction, as well as a mystery, as well as science fiction. It’s similar to A Wrinkle in Time in that the story features a spunky young girl who must figure out how to interpret the clues she’s given to solve a mystery and “save” lives. And coincidentally, in this book, sixth-grader Miranda ‘s favorite book just happens to be A Wrinkle in Time. Find these Newbery winners at J LEN and J STE.
