A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel

by Madeleine L'Engle, Hope Larson (Illustrator)

Overview

NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER • TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF ALL TIME • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM DISNEY

Read the ground-breaking science fiction and fantasy classic that has delighted children for over 60 years—now as a graphic novel!

"A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books of all time. I've read it so often, I know it by heart." —Meg Cabot

“Know somebody who hasn't met Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who or Mrs Which? Larson's colorful panels bring Madeleine L'Engle's brilliant time-travel favorite to life in an exciting new way. This is page-turning eye candy of the highest order.” —James Patterson

Late one night, three otherworldly creatures appear and sweep Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe away on a mission to save Mr. Murray, who has gone missing while doing top-secret work for the government. They travel via tesseract—a wrinkle that transports one across space and time—to the planet Camazotz, where Mr. Murray is being held captive. There they discover a dark force that threatens not only Mr. Murray but the safety of the whole universe.

In the decades since its first publication, A Wrinkle in Time has never been illustrated. Now, Eisner and Ignatz Award-winning Hope Larson takes the classic story to a new level with her vividly imagined interpretations of tessering and favorite characters like the Happy Medium and Aunt Beast. Perfect for old fans and winning over new ones, this graphic novel adaptation is a must-read.

A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quintet.

Praise for A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel:

“Know somebody who hasn't met Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who or Mrs Which? Larson's colorful panels bring Madeleine L'Engle's brilliant time-travel favorite to life in an exciting new way. This is page-turning eye candy of the highest order.” —James Patterson

“This adaptation is fabulous for presenting a fresh vision to those familiar with the original, but it's so true to the story's soul that even those who've never read it will come away with a genuine understanding of L'Engle's ideas and heart.” —Booklist, starred review

“The memorable story of Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, and Calvin O'Keefe's adventure across space and time is conveyed with all the intellectual and emotional impact of the original novel.” —BCCB

“Larson has remained true to the story, preserving the original chapter format and retaining L'Engle's voice. Black-and-white artwork is accented with blue, echoing the original cover color.” —School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250056948
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	03/31/2015
Series:	Time Quintet Series
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	29,009
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) was the Newbery Medal-winning author of more than 60 books, including the much-loved A Wrinkle in Time. Born in 1918, L'Engle grew up in New York City, Switzerland, South Carolina and Massachusetts. Her father was a reporter and her mother had studied to be a pianist, and their house was always full of musicians and theater people. L'Engle graduated cum laude from Smith College, then returned to New York to work in the theater. While touring with a play, she wrote her first book, The Small Rain, originally published in 1945. She met her future husband, Hugh Franklin, when they both appeared in The Cherry Orchard. Upon becoming Mrs. Franklin, L'Engle gave up the stage in favor of the typewriter. In the years her three children were growing up, she wrote four more novels. Hugh Franklin temporarily retired from the theater, and the family moved to western Connecticut and for ten years ran a general store. Her book Meet the Austins, an American Library Association Notable Children's Book of 1960, was based on this experience. Her science fantasy classic A Wrinkle in Time was awarded the 1963 Newbery Medal. Two companion novels, A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet (a Newbery Honor book), complete what has come to be known as The Time Trilogy, a series that continues to grow in popularity with a new generation of readers. Her 1980 book A Ring of Endless Light won the Newbery Honor. L'Engle passed away in 2007 in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Hope Larson is the author of All Summer Long, which was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018 and an Eisner Award Nominee, as well as the recently published sequel, All Together Now. She also adapted and illustrated A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel, which spent forty-four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and for which she won an Eisner Award. She is additionally the author and illustrator of Salamander Dream, Gray Horses, Chiggers, and Mercury, and the author of Compass South and Knife's Edge, both illustrated by Rebecca Mock. She lives in North Carolina.

Date of Birth:

January 12, 1918

Date of Death:

September 6, 2007

Place of Birth:

New York, NY

Place of Death:

Litchfield, CT

Education:

Smith College, 1941

Reading Group Guide

In the middle of a stormy night, a mysterious stranger shows up at the household of Meg Murry and her brother Charles Wallace with knowledge about disappearance of their father—the stranger explains that there is such a thing as a tesseract, a method of traveling through space and time. The two siblings are joined by Calvin O'Keefe, a popular boy with uncanny communication skills, and the three of them venture across the universe to confront a dark force called IT and save Mr. Murry.

This graphic novel was adapted from a classic prose novel. Adaptations are very common—many movies and plays were originally books. What is unique about adapting a book into a graphic novel? How is it similar to adapting a book into a play or movie?

Before they confront IT, Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace are given gifts. Calvin's natural gift of communication is strengthened, Meg is given her faults, and Charles Wallace is given the resilience of his childhood. What gift do you think you would receive from Mrs. Whatsit?

IT argues that everyone is safer and happier because IT controls them—but obviously Camazotz is a very scary place. What do you think is the right balance between freedom and playing by the rules?

Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin rely on instincts to make many of their decisions. What do you think of this strategy? Do you trust your own instincts?

Many graphic novels represent three dimensions on a piece of paper—but this one had to represent two, three, and more dimensions when the children traveled via tesseract. What did you think of the illustrations of these hard-to-imagine concepts?

Meg tells IT, "Like and equal are not the same thing at all!" Do you agree? How do the ideas of "like" and "equal" differ?

Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin venture thousands of light years from home to find Mr. Murry, and Meg returns to Camazotz alone to save Charles Wallace. How far would you go to save a family member? What if you weren't sure you would succeed?

The Dark Thing is evil. Mrs. Which tells the children that some of the best fighters of evil have come from earth. They list great people throughout history: Jesus, da Vinci, Shakespeare, and more. Who would you add to their list? What makes you choose them?

Meg's advantage against IT is that she has love and IT does not. What types of love do you see in the novel? What strengths is Meg able to draw from loving and being loved?

Editorial Reviews

L’Engle’s Newbery Medal–winning 1962 novel of good, evil, and quantum physics gets a stellar (no pun intended) graphic novel treatment from Eisner-winner Larson (Mercury). Larson’s loose, modern drawing style focuses on the characters, largely omitting backgrounds and leaving readers room to add their own imagination. Meg Murry looks every bit as gawky and uncomfortable in her own skin as she feels, and Larson also plays up Charles Wallace’s specialness and strangeness, giving him large, haunted eyes that seem to see things his other family members cannot. The b&w art, highlighted with Wedgwood blue, effectively accents the children’s sense of alienation, but limits some critical storytelling elements (like a villain’s red eyes) after Meg, Charles Wallace, and their neighbor Calvin are whisked across time and space on a mission to rescue Dr. Murry from an evil force that threatens the universe. While fans may miss L’Engle’s detailed and evocative prose, her original dialogue, combined with Larson’s deft interpretation, will remind them of their first reading, while simultaneously bringing a seminal classic to a new generation. Ages 10–up. Agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, McIntosh & Otis. (Oct.)¦

Publishers Weekly

Know somebody who hasn't met Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who or Mrs Which? Larson's colorful panels bring Madeline L'Engle's brilliant time-travel favorite to life in an exciting new way. This is page-turning eye candy of the highest order.” —James Patterson

“This adaptation is fabulous for presenting a fresh vision to those familiar with the original, but it's so true to the story's soul that even those who've never read it will come away with a genuine understanding of L'Engle's ideas and heart.” —Booklist, starred review

“The memorable story of Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, and Calvin O'Keefe's adventure across space and time is conveyed with all the intellectual and emotional impact of the original novel.” —BCCB

“Larson has remained true to the story, preserving the original chapter format and retaining L'Engle's voice. Black-and-white artwork is accented with blue, echoing the original cover color.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Gr 5 Up—Generations of readers have treasured this science-fiction classic, so comparisons with the original are inevitable. Larson has remained true to the story, preserving the original chapter format and retaining L'Engle's voice. Black-and-white artwork is accented with blue, echoing the original cover color. Blue shading distinguishes flashbacks. Images of Meg's bruised, expressive face and slouched body shift the focus of the story slightly, making this truly her story, told from her perspective. She is initially portrayed as an "ugly duckling," and her angst and tender feelings are palpable. Larson does an excellent job of building tension. Look for the arrival of Mrs Which, the meeting with IT, and the awe-inspiring approach to Uriel. Imagery of transitions is especially effective. Mrs Whatis's metamorphosis and the dawning of morning after darkness are memorable. Striking black backgrounds with fragmented blue and white outlines perfectly capture tessering sequences. Charles Wallace's demeanor and personality variations are worth noting. Larson's crowning achievement, though, is the noticeable change in Meg's appearance after her encounter with Aunt Beast. Her face and posture portray her maturation and her willingness to not "be afraid to be afraid." However, the expansiveness of travel through time and space seems at odds with the book's trim size. Pages feel somewhat crowded, due to the numerous small panels and relatively dense text. "Playing with time and space is a dangerous game" applies to adapting a literary classic. While some may quibble with specific discrepancies from the original, this book serves as an excellent introduction and companion to a classic children's story.—Barbara M. Moon, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

School Library Journal

A faithfully adapted graphic novel of the beloved 1962 classic, just in time to celebrate its 50th anniversary. With a keen eye, Eisner Award winner Larson (Mercury, 2010) doesn't stray a moment from L'Engle's original text, following the Murry children, Charles Wallace and Meg, and their friend, Calvin O'Keefe, as they tesser through outer space looking for Meg and Charles Wallace's lost father. Larson's illustrations are clear and concise, neatly ordered across each page with a tidy sensibility. While it is an amazingly envisioned and sophisticatedly stylized offering, some purists may be slightly put off by the three-color black, white and blue palette. It's difficult to see The Man with Red Eyes with baby blue eyes, or to miss out on her rainbow wings when Mrs. Whatsit morphs into the centaurlike creature on Uriel. Minor grievances aside, this is a stunning reimagining of L'Engle's Newbery-winning tale, and it should entrance old and new readers alike. Adaptations can be difficult to execute with style and grace; Larson manages to do both and still add her own flair. Larson's admiration and respect for the original text shines through; this is an adaptation done right. (Graphic fantasy. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews