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Madeleine L'Engle
I chose Madeleine L'Engle simply out of curiosity. I heard her name a lot when I was growing up, but never read any of her books. Many of her books are written for grade 6 and up, but can be enjoyed by all ages.** She was born on November 29, 1918 in New York City. She and her parents spent many early years there. Years later she moved to France and eventually back to the States. She wrote a lot as a child, which lead her to become an author. **http://www.madeleinelengle.com/ -
Quote
"I can’t tell you anything about children’s books that you don’t already know. I’m not teaching you; you’re teaching me." Quote from Ms. L'Engle's Newbery Acceptance Speech, 1963. -
Fun Facts
5 fun facts about Ms. L'Engle:
Ms. L'Engle worked as a librarian for a Church.
Her many special interests included religion and prayer.
At the age of 12 she attended an English boardng school.
She once ran a general store.She wrote over 60 books.** Ms. L'Engle was once a choir director for a local church:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_L'Engle -
Successes-Quote from Reliable Source
"Her works, poetry, plays, autobiography and books on prayer, were deeply, quixotically personal. But it was in her vivid children’s characters that readers most clearly glimpsed her passionate search for the questions that mattered most". Dougles Martin, New York Times, Friday, September 8, 2007. -
Successes
Margaret A. Edwards Award for “lifetime contribution to young
adult literature” (1998), ALAN Award for outstanding contribution to adolescent literature (1986), A Wrinkle in Time was finally published after being turned down by 26 publishers! A surprising barrier that turned into a success! -
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Interview with Scholastic Students Learning about Writing and Research
I was surprised to learn that Ms. L'Engle had trouble with Math and English as a child. When she created the character Meg, she made certain that Meg was successful in Math and English.I was interested to learn that books and reading were a huge positive influence in her life as a child.I was shocked that A Wrinkle in Time was banned for its references to witchcraft and religion.** http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/madeleine-l39engle-interview-transcript -
Book 1:A Wrinkle in Time
Science Fiction. Grade 6 and up.** B:Charles and Meg are visited one night by a stranger who introduces them to the concept of "Tesseract". They learn that a tesseract is another word for dimensions in time travel. M: We learn that Meg's father has gone missing. He disappeared while working for the government. There are strange events; are they real or a dream? E:Meg and her brother Charles go to strange places and see beautiful and scary creatures. They travel through time and dimension. -
Book 1: A Wrinkle in Time
Science Fiction is not generally my genre of choice. This book really gives me an "out-there" mindset. It is often hard for me to wrap my mind around how/if any of this could happen.** MIT: The most important thing to take away from this book is imagination. Let your imagination, combined with some real science, take your mind on an adventure about what could be. -
Book 1: A Wrinkle in Time
This book can connect to curriculum in many ways. Science: discuss the planets and their distance from earth in days and miles. Language Arts:compare and contrast different characters in the book using an "open-mind" comparison. Write a paragraph about your pictures. **I would rate the book a 5. The plot is rich and multi-layered and is action-packed. The theme is original and perhaps controversial which makes the story intriguing. -
Book 2: A Ring of Endless Light
This book can connect to curriculum in many ways: Language Arts: write a shape poem or acrostic poem with the word Dolphin. Social Studies/Geography: use geographic terms and features to create an island map.**
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5. Romance and death drive the plot and keep the reader interested, the island setting is beautiful, the theme is believable and significant, emotional character traits are realistic. -
Book 2: A Ring of Endless Light
Contemporary Realism. Grade 6 and up.**In the beginning, a teenager named Vicky spends the summer on an island with her family. Her Grandfather is sick and dying. They decide to spend more time there than usual. In the Middle of the book we learn that Vicky has several romantic love interests: Zachary, Leo and Adam. Adam, in particular, is involved with dolphin research. During this, Vicky is troubled with the concept of death. People around her have died and her Grandfather may be next. -
Book 2: A Ring of Endless Light
In the End, Vicky learns about death and dying. She is also comforted by the research that she and Adam do with the dolphins. She learns several valuable life lessons.** I was very interested in this book. It has topics that most anyone can relate to.** MIT: This book is a great source of comfort for someone that may be confused about death. Any age can relate to this story. -
Book 3: Troubling a Star
Contemporary Realism. Grade 6 and up. -
Book 3: Troubling a Star
In the beginning we catch up with Vicky Austin who we met in A Ring of Endless light. Vicky gets the chance to go to Antarctica to visit her friend Adam.He is now working as a Marine Biologist. In the middle, she is about to begin her journey when she receives warning messages. It seems that the trip may be dangerous. But she decides to go despite the warnings. In the end, there are suspicious characters that bring messages of Good vs. Evil. Good wins in the end. -
Book 3: Troubling a Star
This book impacted me by having a great adventure to share. I enjoyed learning and experiencing Antarctica through Vicky's travels.
MIT: The message of Good vs. Evil is prominent. Can Good win out? How does Vicky make her decisions and what does she learn through the process? -
Book 3: Troubling a Star
This book can connect to curriculum in many ways: Language Arts: use a Venn diagram to compare/contrast Arizona and Antarctica. Write a story using these ideas. Science: study penguins/ their habitat/food/breeding. Create a concept board for this topic.**
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5. Good vs. evil drives the plot and creates conflict. The setting is beautiful and educational. There is mystery, suspense and romance that all interest the reader. -
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In the News:Hope Larson to adapt ‘A Wrinkle in Time' into graphic novel.
"I’m thrilled to announce, at long last, that I’m writing and illustrating the graphic novel adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time for Farrar, Straus and Giroux! This is a dream project. Wrinkle is one of my favorite books, and Madeline L’Engle is one of my favorite authors and a huge influence on my storytelling." Hope Larson, 2010
